Lost Paradise
by weixuan18
Summary: Startling realizations of the reality brings young Naruto on a journey to search and discover a realm of peace, where bonds of trust and love aid him in attaining the long lost paradise. NaruFemkyuu
1. It Begins

_**A/N: This is a completely different take on Naruto than any other I have done before. And of course, it includes something that I have been wanting to do since I first touched Naruto fanfic. **_

_**FemKyuubi, for one, is not seen very often nowadays, and something that definitely needs to be revived in fanfiction. No more clichéd versions, I'm creating what I think would be the only logical way for a FemKyuubi to exist in the same place of existence as Naruto. It will happen, and it'll be good, that I have confidence. **_

_**Wilson proudly presents "Lost Paradise". Please sit back, and enjoy. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Lost Paradise

Chapter 1: It Begins

"_Like a star, in my night. You'll always be a part of me." ~ from __僕は、鳥になる__of Lelouch of the Rebellion R2_

Six years within Konohagakure had left quite an impression on little Uzumaki Naruto. He was the pariah of the village, mistreated and despised, but not to the extreme. Most people disliked him or simply ignored him, choosing to stay out of his way rather than confronting him. A lot of the time, he had indifference shot at him, refusing any information as to why this weird unjust was placed on a mere child like him. The references to him being a 'demon' by some of the more direct insults confused him. He had read about demons, in story books about fairy tales, and he was sure he could be nothing like them.

He was rarely physically manhandled, but there would always be the occasional rough and brutal smack to the head or push to the ground when he was rejected service into some shop or restaurant. Never would the act be carried out while he was walking in the streets. It made him wonder just why that was the case, when clearly, the people passing by held that exact same glint as the mean shopkeepers. Of course, he would never forget the ones that treated him amiably and nicely, giving him far more respect than he thought he deserved. Granted, given the constant jeers and sneers he received back at the orphanage, he didn't think he deserved a lot at all.

Every single time, he would ask them, with a trembling voice in both cases, just what he had done. One would reply with a venomous tone, covered up in a disparaging comment about his nature or something. The other would simply smile and sometimes even ruffle his head as a gesture of kindness and direct the conversation elsewhere.

Uzumaki Naruto was not dumb. He could tell when an adult wouldn't answer a question and wanted to change the subject. After all, Sandaime Oji had done it far too many times for him to even count. But then again, he didn't think to blame the old man for his misfortune, because he was in his care ever since he could remember. The old man was supposedly the 'leader' of this village, even though little Naruto doubted him on quite a number of occasions when he found the old man giggling in a disturbing manner behind his desk while holding some sort of orange book.

Sandaime Oji had been the one to place him in the orphanage, and made regular visits to check up on him, making sure he was coping with the environment. The orphanage was a nice, cosy place, one where children were mostly hanging out with each other, playing and learning whenever they could, creating a comfortable atmosphere. However, certain things changed when he entered the picture. He was a common target to be bullied. His whisker-like features on his face made him stand out, and naturally, a few of the older kids didn't take too well to this.

He had been ridiculed, sabotaged, and sometimes beaten whenever they felt like it, and that was certainly one part of the orphanage which he hated. However, he would somehow always be saved by the matron, Yukari-san. She was a nice lady, always treating his bruises and wounds when she came upon the scene where he was bullied. Every time, she would scold the other kids, but seeing as how she was hesitant in beating them to emphasize her point, the bullies simply mocked her behind her back, saying she was just a soft woman to be ignored.

Naruto had even gotten into a few fights when the bullies jeered at how he was always running to the useless matron of theirs. Yukari-san was anything but useless. She was one of the most important people in his life so far, and he would not let her be insulted. For one, she was the one to teach him to read. It fascinated him, the stories and novels she brought with her, and by while most of the others were sleeping, he would sneak to her room, and snuggle in bed with her, smiling softly as he read together with her. She was very patient with him, helping him as he stumbled over phrases he had no idea what they meant, and teaching him vocabulary that he had yet to understand.

By age five, he could already read almost anything Yukari-san gave him, and one particular storybook, the one he received for his sixth birthday this year, was a treasure he held precious more than anything he owned. It was simple fairy tale, where a baby bird was born, growing and striving through the mishaps thrown at it, and finally taking flight into a night sky filled with stars where it gained its freedom, spreading its wings as it glided into the distance.

Yukari-san was extremely pleased at how much he seemed to like her present and when asked what the moral of the story was, the thirty year old woman thought for a moment, before answering, "Well, the normal one people would tell you, would be that no matter what hardships you face, you must endure and persevere. Because in the end, it'll all pay off. But from my point of view, it says something more. Do you see it?"

With wide eyes, he gazed at her in something akin to fascination, "What might that be?" he had asked. She had smiled softly and replied, "Everything in this world is a part of a bigger picture. You and I belong to this village, Konohagakure, and this village, in turn belongs to a country. The country is mere land to the earth. The earth itself is part of the universe. And who knows what might be beyond that?"

That very night, her words etched deep in his mind, as she ruffled his hair, "What I'm saying is, no matter how minor a thing might seem to be, it'll always contribute to the bigger picture. Let's take you for an example, Naruto."

"Me?" He had pointed at himself with his finger and tilted his head, disbelief all over his face at hearing that he could actually contribute stuff.

"Yes, you, dear Naruto. You are like the bird in the sky. You gave me what I never had, you set me free, you gave me a heart." Her eyes closed as she gave him a kiss on the forehead, "I never thought I could live a life like this when I retired from the ranks, I couldn't believe it when Sandaime-sama assigned me this job. But now I know, and I relish in the fact that I have found you, Naruto. You are very important to me."

"I am?" His round eyes blinked repeatedly, before he broke into a wide smile that was mirrored on the face of Yukari-san as well.

"Yes you are. You are an adorable little boy that can make me forget all my hardships in a heartbeat. That is what the story means, Naruto. Bonds like this need to be created before understandings can be established. Villages are built on these links and countries are formed from these trusts. You might be a small part of all of this Naruto, but you'll _always_ be important to me." Her hand gently traced itself around his cheek, "I'll always be there for you, just like I know you'll always be there for me. Won't you, Naruto?" She teased.

"Of course! I'll beat up anyone that dares bully you!" He had declared with a huff, raising his fist in what he thought would be a menacing stance.

"Haha, why thank you my little knight. However, remember, violence is not always the option."

"Hai, hai. You always say that Yukari-san."

"Because that is something you should remember, Naruto. That way, you might hurt yourself less in the future."

"Don't wanna."

"Haha, is that so? Then I guess I'll have to look after you for the rest of your life."

"Yay! You said that! You said that didn't you? No going back on those words!"

"My, my, you're a cunning little devil aren't you? Alright, alright, I won't go back on those words."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's a promise of a lifetime."

"Ah, I believe you."

"As do I, Naruto. Now, off to bed, it's getting late."

"Eh?! Awww, do I have to?"

"Come now, don't whine. Men don't whine, hehe."

"Of course they do! I do!"

"Now, now…"

"Ne, ne, can I please sleep here with you tonight? I feel safer."

"… Alright, but you have to be quiet once the lights are out. No more chattering from you, or I will kick you from my bad, understood?"

"Yes, I'll be a good boy."

"Very good. Now…" Reaching over, she turned off the lights, and in a flash, the room was shrouded in darkness, "Good night, Naruto."

"Good night Yukari-san!"

That very night, Minase Yukari found herself cradling Naruto like a treasured friend, gently tapping him to sleep before she kissed him on the forehead, "Arigato, Naruto…"

The stars outside shone bright as the moonlight cascaded through the windows. Raising her head, she looked out at the beautiful night sky, "Yes, like a star, in my nights… You'll always be a part of me. That, is how much you mean to me, Naruto."

But little Naruto didn't hear her and simply snuggled deeper into her bosom, sleeping peacefully as time passed by.

Many would not understand just why Yukari cared so much for Naruto. At the age of twenty eight, the woman could hardly bear the harsh realities being an ANBU always seemed to reveal. The horrors and bloodshed she had witnessed were enough to torment her for a life time. She had finally reached breaking point and petitioned for a release from being a shinobi entirely, and surprisingly, Sandaime-sama had agreed. However, it was under the condition that she took up a civilian job so as to conceal her identity.

She complied, and to her utmost surprise, she was made to be a matron of the orphanage. She had protested, wondering just how Sandaime-sama could trust her with such tender children of her age, and the old man had simply smiled and told her to give it a try.

It was here that she met Uzumaki Naruto, the enigma and legacy of Yondaime-sama. Such a brilliant child, scorned by the village for something he had no control of, and hated for being associated with the real demon, Kyuubi no kitsune, she couldn't believe that it was this beautiful being they were referring to. Such naïve and gentle eyes, such tenderness and grace within him and a heart bigger than any she had ever seen. Always willing to give new things a go, insatiable in his thirst for knowledge and love, yearning for contact with different people so as to understand his environment better.

He was a gem, waiting to be developed and thoroughly explored, and yet few would look past their prejudices and get to know the real him. He had given her a purpose in life, just when she thought that the world was made of nothing but killing and slaughter, where might makes right, she was reminded of the purity of souls in the form of Uzumaki Naruto. It was ironic that life could undergo such a change, from utterly chaotic to a tranquility she had never believed existed. She cared for him like no one she had before, because she too, was once an orphan. She had no loved one, for in their occupation, couples barely survived. She had seen enough of the tragedies in her own squad to know that getting too involved emotionally was a bad mistake.

But all that changed when she saw Naruto. She came to understand him, love him and adore him. He was truly her everything. Being a civilian sounded boring at the start, but as of now, she knew of nothing better she could be, as long as it meant that Naruto was with her. Sandaime-sama was extremely pleased with this development and asked if she could continue taking care of Naruto. An instant 'yes' was her reply.

Staring at the young boy by her side, she couldn't help but pray that the life does not take an unpleasant turn like it did for her. She wanted him to stay safe, stay bright and stay happy. But given his life, and his parents' blood within him, she knew it wouldn't be long before something would happen.

He was born to be a shinobi, born to shoulder the heavy burden that was placed on him, and, Yukari strongly believed, that he was born to create a paradise that was long lost in this world, one where no more tragedies had to happen, one where no more children cried for the loss of parents on the battlefield, one where people could actually feel safe in their beds without worrying for their lives tomorrow.

Lacing her fingers within his hair, she had smiled. A soft, gentle smile. She was reminded of the time when Naruto had 'proposed' to her, declaring right after they read a fairy tale that he would be her 'prince' and marry her. It was such an adorable expression that she couldn't help but kiss him on the cheek. His honesty touched her heart and she found herself replying in the affirmative when Naruto asked her to 'wait' for him. She had dismissed it as a joke, but there was always something in his eyes that made her think otherwise. Bright as the sky, they burn with resolve.

Yes, he would be the one to do it. She could feel it, only one with as kind a heart as him would be able to accomplish the impossible. And she would be with him, like she promised.

Always.

However, life shall soon change for her, where she became the first sacrifice within this lost paradise. Although, there was one thing that would be the key catalyst in ensuring her new life. Uzumaki Naruto never lost. And never will.

Dreams were special things indeed; that Naruto had been taught countless times. They could be anything and everything, and one should never be surprised nor afraid of what they were dreaming of. This was one of the reasons Naruto never questioned why he was visiting a blood red cage in an underground sewer when he was three.

He had ventured there, completely unaware of his surroundings, making cheerful noises at being able to have an adventure of his own while asleep. Yukari-san was always so careful with him, not wanting him to take any risks, and he had to miss out on so much fun! But she did it for his good, so he didn't mind it too much. However, this was so exciting!

The metal bars proved no resistance for him as he simply waddled his way through the gaps and peeked inside. All was dark except for a huge bundle of red in the middle of the cage. Twin irises of white flashed open and a snarl was heard before a wave of energy was directed at him.

The fairy tales Yukari-san read to him constantly told of special beings and supernatural forces, hence little Naruto barely paid it any attention as he continued to reach out, his tiny fingers stretching towards the 'thing'. The eyes widened as the wave simply parted while the hand proceeded on without fear, the boy's smile glowing in contrast to the dim setting of this place.

Before it could react accordingly, the boy had touched its fur, before staring up at it bemusedly, "Why are you in this form?"

Thoroughly taken aback, it had roared and tried to shake the boy out of the room, wanting to be rid of this nuisance of a jailer it had, however, the boy simply frowned and pouted, before tapping it on the paw, "Bad kitsune. Bad kitsune. It's polite to answer a question when someone asks you. Yukari-san told me so."

It had marveled at the perfect speech patterns of the young one, and how he had shown no signs of stuttering, unlike normal human kids. Yet it was more chided by its complete lack of control in this situation. Growling bitterly, it wondered whether this was what it meant to be sealed, robbed of its power, and dethroned from its pinnacle of strength into this dark abyss.

For some reason, the kid didn't even show the slightest amount of fear, and with good reason. The mighty Kyuubi could do nothing against its jailor, not without risking its existence erased from this plane. The boy had then tilted his head, "Why do you look like this?"

His little hands were rubbing on its fur, making it quite difficult to force back the purr that was on its lips. There was something, something extremely comforting and at the same time, alluring to the kitsune. It was uncanny to think that one of its status would even consider any action by a mere mortal 'attractive', but this boy…

"I asked you a question. Why do you look like this?" He wouldn't relent, no matter what it tried to do to remove him from its presence, it failed to work. Finally, it had no other choice besides shaking its head and plopping back down onto the ground.

Little Naruto frowned, before shaking it once again, "Ne, ne, tell me!"

Kyuubi ignored him, and proceeded to close its eyes, wanting all of this to be a dream.

A really _bad_ dream.

There were so many conflicts within its conscious, seeing how a mortal, a _boy_ was actually talking to it, was actually touching it like it was a common pet, and had the nerve to tell _it_ what was right and wrong. He, a three year old!

That's not the worst bit though. The problem was…

It enjoyed it.

The _nerve_!

Call it a stupid fox for all it cared, but it had been _years_ since it even had contact, well, _peaceful_ contact with another being, regardless of it being mortal or immortal. The other clans of Yami _(Darkness)_ within the summons universe had isolated it as an individual unit, unwilling to have anything do with it, seeing how it was possibly the strongest dark demon to ever appear in their realm. The irony was that there should be no such thing as a 'light' demon, and hence, there really wasn't anything scary with it being a dark one in the first place.

But no, the ones who ally themselves for the 'greater good' would be classified as the noble ones, while the outcasts, Yami, were left to fend for themselves. Kyuubi no Kitsune was an entirely new addition to the plane where the day it made its first appearance struck fear into every single one of them, establishing that sense of power that would soon to become associated with it.

The Kitsune clan itself wasn't exactly a 'summon', seeing how there was no summoner worthy or cunning enough for them to even notice. It had reached the epitome of the kitsune, nine-tails worth of power at its free disposal, and yet, because of that very power, it was banished. Jealous bastards, all of them.

While it was being caught up in this windmill of memories, little Naruto had pouted, displeased at how he was ignored, but suddenly, something caught his eyes. The sad look on the fox's face made him think of the words Yukari-san used to tell him.

Perhaps it was instinct that made him do it. Or rather, he thought that everyone deserved to be happy. And hence, it was with great surprise, when Kyuubi suddenly realized Naruto was sitting on its nose, right between its eyes. While it was musing over its past, it would seem that the brat had crawled and climbed on her fur, and steadily made his way to its face with agility and flexibility one would not expect from a three year old.

Before it could even retort, Naruto had leaned forward, chubby little hands holding onto its fur, before placing a soft kiss on the bridge of its nose. By then, Kyuubi was completely dumbfounded. There was simply no telling what else this little devil would do to surprise it more! Why, did he just kiss a _demon_?!

Why would he, its _jailor_, bother to first, come into its cage, be nice to it, and finally, _kiss_ it?! What is wrong with this brat?!

And then, Naruto had smiled, his eyes closed with his brows curved happily, "There we go! You're not sulking anymore! Waaaai!" Waving his hands in joy, he giggled as he placed yet another kiss on the same spot, "Happy woman! Happy woman!"

Kyuubi had at first, wrinkled its nose in slight disgust at being treated like a play thing, but then, the full force of little Naruto's declaration hit her.

Did he just call it a '_woman_'?

No, that cannot be. There was no way a brat like him would be able to see through the illusion!

"So, why do you look like a fox?" Blinking, he asked in a chirpy voice.

If Kyuubi could, it would have had its jaws dislocated and thrown into the depths of hell, never to be found again. But of course, it wasn't that stupid, so no, it chose to simply make incoherent noises that sounded like gasping denials and vehement protests, but eventually, all it took was a third kiss from little Naruto to get it to shut up.

"Mo, you really are a weird lady, kitsune-san. Why won't you answer my question? Hmph!" Crossing his arms, or trying to, Naruto assumed what he thought was a 'stern' expression, one much like how Sandaime-jiji used to look when he was in the office working on papers.

By that time, Kyuubi had finally resigned to its fate and sighed, before an aura surrounded its being. It wasn't long before it began shape-shifting to assume the posture of an elegant woman dressed in a loosely-clad kimono, vibrant crimson hair lined her porcelain face, and barefooted, she stood with little Naruto in her arms, a pensive expression on her face.

Meanwhile, the little blond was clapping his hands, "Yay!"

It was utterly unthinkable that a mere child could understand the finer arts of shapeshifting. Long ago, it was common knowledge that all intellectual demons with power were able to morph into a human form, simply because they usually needed to interact with humans, mostly as summons.

However, that particular power seemed to have died out as the summons only retained their abilities to speak and think like humans on top of their basic demonic personalities, and from then on, the ability to shape-shift was exclusively reserved for the kitsune clan of the summon realm. In fact, all the fairy tales and legends of kitsune being able to change shape was quite true. There was another fact that some rumours and folktales did include, but not widely believed.

_All_ kitsune were females.

There was no exception. It was the one true trait that made them the most peculiar, and hence, far stronger species than any of the other summons.

Kitsune were well-known to excel in illusions and fire abilities, and their outstanding wits and cunning natures led them to be one of the most mystified legends to be born to the human world.

All of the above mentioned advantages lead to a common ability, and that would be 'seduction'. In the history of mankind, there had been multiple cases of how certain men would be led astray by extremely beautiful women who had flair and intelligence beyond any women they have ever met. Eventually, they would disappear from their towns and be lost forever.

That was work of kitsune mating with them. Kitsune had to mate with humans, and humans _only_, and usually there would be two outcomes. One, the male dies because of overdose demonic energy. Two, male becomes a hanyou _(half demon)_. Most cases die right after the sex, but there were some specific examples where the kitsune truly loved its mate and did all that it could to ensure a life together with him. However, the fact remained that the hanyou had a shorter life span than a true kitsune, and hence they were never allowed to be the 'clan leader' of the kitsune.

It was an instinct for all kitsune to create an illusion of themselves when in foreign territory or another realm, to ensure their survival, and not letting others figure out their true identity. Kyuubi had been there for only a few years, before it was entrapped inside this child. It never even _occurred_ to her that someone might have discovered her identity, much less by a three year old.

However, thinking back to the sealing process, perhaps the powers from the 'gods' realm had leaked into the child's body due to the insane complexity of the Hakke Shiki Fuin and Naruto had somehow 'connected' with her abilities as a kitsune. Seeing through them was probably a piece of cake for the brat now.

Sighing, Kyuubi was about to place Naruto onto the ground when the boy asked again, "Ne, ne, can you speak?"

Raising an eyebrow at the question, the red-haired lady opened her mouth and was about to utter a retort, only to find that indeed, she still couldn't speak. Her surprise was written all over her face and Naruto pouted. Why was she frowning again?!

Kyuubi, on the other hand, had a thousand thoughts running through her mind. She had always figured that because she was holding up an illusion within a jailor, she really didn't have any other energy to speak, and hence after lifting said illusion, it would come to reason that her voice should be back. Just what was going on?

_Mwa! _

Blinking, she looked down at the mop of blond hair.

…

Did the brat just kiss her?

_Mwa! _

On the _lips_?!

"Hm, so soft, I like! Oh, you're not frowning anymore! Yay!"

_Mwa!_

There was nothing she could do, she could express her disbelief at the ridiculous situation where her three year old jailor had just _kissed_ her six times or so to, apparently, make her _stop frowning_.

"I'm Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! What's your name?"

At that, the pretty lady's face fell. A grimace crossed her expression and little Naruto wondered why she looked so sad. She had no name. She was always an outcast, and now banned from the kitsune clan, doomed to dwell in the Yami regions of the summon realm.

Once again, she opened her mouth, and when no voice came out, she shook her head. Turning, she eyed her nine tails and smiled bitterly, before using one of the tails and writing on the walls, "Kyu-bi" in kanji.

"Oooh! Kyu-chan! Ne, ne, how come you have nine?"

The kitsune couldn't help but smile at the sheer vibrancy her jailor seemed to ooze at all times, and despite chiding herself for succumbing to curiosity, she began her first 'conversation' with little Naruto.

Years passed, and as Naruto slept, he would always visit Kyu-chan, keeping her company. Be it playing with her tails or asking her questions that he couldn't understand, he would do his best to ensure Kyuubi made some sort of response. The environment at which they met slowly began to change each time Naruto interacted with the kitsune.

For every smile and silent laughter the kitsune gave, the water within the sewer would retreat. For the first year, Naruto had succeeded in driving away all the stinky liquid from the place. By the second year, the gloomy setting was gone. When he was six, the cage was practically non-existent, for Naruto had deemed it a nuisance every time he had to slide through it to meet Kyu-chan.

It was now simply a room, with carpets on the floor, because Naruto liked them soft, and special futon for the kitsune, very large where Naruto would always curl himself in Kyu-chan's tails, and sleep while she gently caressed his cheek.

Naruto adored them both, Yukari-san, and Kyu-chan, and had long since sworn to himself, that he would always protect them, and be friends with them, and generally, make them the happiest women on earth! That was his dream!

He had exclaimed it to both females, and surprisingly enough, they had the same reactions. They simply pulled him into a warm embrace where they just stayed there for a few moments, before the female would place a kiss on his forehead and distract him by either reading a novel with him (Yukari-san) or getting him to sleep (Kyu-chan).

However, bad things do happen, and exactly on his seventh birthday, one where the entire orphanage had gathered together to celebrate, even the ones that bullied him before had participated, unexpected arrivals along with twisted beliefs destroyed the day.

It wasn't the villagers. It wasn't even random drunkards this time.

They wore masks over them, quite like the ANBU that used to watch over Naruto. But somehow, they felt different, like they were dead on the inside. Their cold tones and voices about how the demon had to be exterminated did the job. All hell broke loose from then onwards.

Naruto didn't know who they were, or why they called him a demon.

But Yukari-san did, and all she uttered since their arrival, was a hateful snarl, "Ne! _(Root!)_"

* * *

_**On the streets outside of the orphanage…**_

"Danzo! What is the meaning of this?!" Sarutobi eyed his old 'rival' with distaste and barely controlled rage at the current situation.

He had been notified that there were 'suspicious' men heading towards Naruto's orphanage, and seeing how there weren't any shinobi from other countries that would target that specific place, he decided to be cautious and ordered a squad of ANBU to go with him.

Imagine his surprise when Danzo of all people was standing there, blocking his entrance into the orphanage with his own battered body. Behind him were no doubt those traitorous ANBU he named 'Ne', supposedly the elite in terms of killing efficiency.

There was simply no understanding why the old bat would risk everything on this, his political status, his shinobi status and his citizenship within Konoha, because as Hokage, Sarutobi had every right to simply remove him from the premise.

That would normally happen had Danzo not have the backing of several power-thirsty council members along with a few of the minor clans who bore hatred and jealousy at being gradually forgotten over the years. The only relief Sarutobi had was that the civilian council sided with him unanimously, and would _never_ sway over to Danzo's side, for the simple fact that they wanted to be safe, and after years of experience, they trust the Hokage to be in charge with their lives.

Danzo was well-known to be a reckless man, extremely so, spouting nonsense about going to war every five minutes in council meetings, and as much as the crafty old man tried to wrestle control over the civilian council with Sarutobi, it was a given fact that none of them wanted to go to war, and see their shinobi friends, relatives and family die once again, like that horrible Iwa war years ago. No, they wanted to stay safe, and Sarutobi didn't disappoint. Sure, they disagreed over certain things, like whether Naruto should be instated in an Orphanage at all, for fear that the Kyuubi might suddenly break loose, but then again, as much as the civilians hated to admit it, they knew the Sandaime was right.

The kid wasn't Kyuubi at all. Anyone with the least amount of sense could see that the poor soul was such a gentle boy, with such a love for nature and an intrigue in the overall surroundings itself that it couldn't possibly be the Kyuubi. A few stubborn ones told themselves it was an illusion, set up by the Kyuubi to deceive them all. But even they slowly began to relent after witnessing with their very eyes how the little boy had tended to small stray animals on the streets, how he would eagerly help out with those who accepted him wherever he could. And the orphanage itself! It was proof that he was simply a child more than anything! The cheers of laughter whenever Naruto was in the game always drew a crowd to the windows to simply watch on as the kids played.

The mere fact that the other orphans would stand up for Naruto when he was being bullied or insulted proved that he was just another kid suffering the aftereffects of that abyss. The attack by Kyuubi six years ago was simply too terrifying, and the loss of the citizens of Konoha was greater than any had ever suffered. It was pandemonium and chaos all at once, and the fear escalated to a level that the headstrong citizens of Konoha never thought was possible. And in the midst of all this confusion, they needed a release. They needed a scapegoat, someone to channel their frustration, angst and anxiety through.

They found Naruto to be adequate, and repeatedly convinced themselves that he was nothing but a demon. Well, it kind of worked for what, a few months at best? The baby itself was every bit the definition of 'charm' as it went. Crystal clear blue irises, sun-kissed blond hair framing that chubby little face, and those whisker marks! Most of them instantly deduced it as the marks of a demon, but after staring at it for a while, they simply couldn't help it.

It felt like a sin that such a baby would have to bear those marks for the rest of his life, and on the contrary, those marks were extremely enticing and irresistibly _cute_. The females had no chance against it, and on a more serious level, neither did the males. Kyuubi had red fur, red eyes. Naruto did not. It was all the proof needed for at least half the civilians to take on a neutral approach. A select few went on to help this Naruto kid, seeing how he was an orphan and all that.

The rest, well, kept up the façade that they hated Naruto, but even then, it was done half-heartedly. One dejected look after a harsh comment would leave the person feeling guilty that he would maintain that 'disgusted' expression for a while longer just so he could briskly walk away and try to forget what he had just done.

The citizens of Konoha weren't blockheads that were too blinded by hatred or anything. There was a reason why Konoha could become _the_ strongest shinobi village out of the five lands. They had emotions such as love and friendship and the so-called 'forbidden' feelings of the Shinobi code to power them, and because other villages stuck to the protocol that emotions only served to hinder you, Konoha was beyond that.

From the Shodai Hokage right down to the Yondaime, all of them discredited that particular rule, reasoning that emotions would only hinder someone if they let it rule them. Emotions are to be controlled and expressed by the user, not the other way round. The Shinobi of Konoha had the backing of their friends, families and comrades and hence was able to persevere through the hardships. However, there would always be a group that detested this ideal, and chose to resist, insisting that they would be fine alone, and that sharing was below them.

Danzo was one of this people, and hence, his secret army of Ne was all trained to become like him, devoid of emotion, embracing their selfish desires even if it meant harm to their own comrades. Those were the ones standing before him right now, determined to see that they get their way in what they wanted.

Sarutobi bristled in anger as he spoke in a deathly tone, "Do you understand what you're doing Danzo?!"

The cripple military fanatic simply smirked cruelly, "Of course I understand. We are here to ensure that our _beloved_ Hokage witness this glorious moment in history, where the demon that brought such disgrace onto us gets what it deserved six years ago."

"Danzo, I'm warning you – "

"It's been long enough, Sarutobi. You've let that _thing_ of yours go on for far too long. It needs to be removed _now_." Waving a hand at the shinobi behind him, he continued, "You'll either give in now, or you face a civil war."

At this, the atmosphere grew ever tenser as the Sandaime Hokage stared Danzo down, "Do you forget who you're talking to, Danzo?"

In a flash, fifty or so ANBU appeared behind him. "I am the Hokage. My word is 'law' in this village." Taking a step forward, "I was, and still am, the Shinobi Professor, or do I need to remind you that I am the God of war?" His eyes narrowed as he glared at Danzo, "You are nothing but a cripple man, both physically and mentally."

Temper flaring, the Ne leader growled, "You'll regret those words Sarutobi. Enough bantering. I'm asking you right out. Do you agree to the public execution of the demon?"

Sarutobi stared at him coolly, "There is no demon in our village. I do not understand what you are talking about."

"Don't be smart with me!" Danzo snarled, "You know very well who I'm talking about!"

"Silence!" Chakra pouring out of him, Sarutobi's aura instantly magnified, causing the Ne leader to flinch slightly, "Know your place Danzo. I will not repeat myself." Pointing his hand to the streets, he replied, "Leave at once."

Instead of feeling threatened, Danzo smiled, "I see. You dug your own grave. I was hoping for the entire village to see the demon's head fall to the ground, but I suppose the pleasure would be only mine. Ne, attention!"

In blurs, they reappeared in a circle, surrounding Sarutobi and his ANBU, poised and ready to strike.

"Kill any that dare interfere with this. I am declaring a rebellion against a fool of a Hokage. Oh, and men, prepare the bombs."

"Hai!"

Sarutobi's eyes widened, before realization dawned on him. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "Danzo!"

"Pity, Sarutobi, pity. I didn't think you would be so cruel as to let other children sacrifice their lives for the sake of a demon. Didn't think you had it in you to be honest." His smirk was back at full force, a crazed look appearing on his face, making his facial features all the more jarring, "But it all ends here. It will die, and that's final. You were a fool to not make it into the weapon that I suggested."

"Bring him out!"

By now, quite the crowd was gathered around the area, almost everyone from the village had caught wind to what was going on, and came to see. Shinobi and civilians alike could only gasp in horror as little six year old Naruto was dragged out onto the courtyard by his hair, manhandled by a Ne officer, before he was kicked to the ground.

The other children were herded aside, however, it was evident that they would not stay still as some even tried to go to Naruto.

"What are you doing to him!"

"Stop! Don't kick him!"

"Naruto! Hang in there!"

The Ne officers didn't hear them and simply pushed them aside, with five officers surrounding a downed Naruto. The boy was staring up at them in confusion and anger, wondering what he had done to deserve all this.

"Let him go this instant! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Yukari-san was bound by ropes and couldn't do anything to save him.

Danzo laughed, "Yes, this is the moment I've been waiting for. Demon, I'm giving you the chance to reveal yourself so that you do not lose your dignity as you die. Drop the illusion and embrace your death!"

Little Naruto was kicked to kneel in front of Danzo as the man held a blade over the boy.

"Danzo! I'm warning you!" Sarutobi snarled as he looked about to take a risk.

"Ah-ah, I suggest you rethink your options, oh mighty Sandaime. I trust you do not want this place to be demolished? This bomb, is a special invention of mine." He twirled it in his hand, "You see, the explosion would kill everyone here, including the civilians. I suggest you shut up and watch, like you should have done all these years." His eyes narrowed, "Do you understand _me_?"

No one dared move after hearing this declaration, and could only stare on in shock as the event played itself out. None of this was making any sense! Everyone was taken over by the absolute surprise of this, and couldn't make coherent responses to this.

"Now, where were we? Ah that's right. Demon, reveal yourself!" Without hesitation, Danzo stabbed the sword into Naruto's arm, earning a shriek of pain from the boy.

"Naruto!" Yukari-san shouted as she watched on helplessly. The Ne had already taken measures to seal her chakra pathways temporarily, and since they outnumber her, she couldn't put up much of a fight. Besides, the other children were in danger as well, and hence, she had opted to play the docile prisoner until she had her chance, but…

"I said reveal yourself!" A second slice followed, this time across Naruto's face, drawing blood as the boy squirmed on the floor, trying to shake off the pain. It was a ghastly sight to behold, and before long, most of the civilians and Shinobi were protesting, demanding that Danzo stop this.

"Pathetic demon. How long are you going to keep up the façade that you're one of us?! Do not mock us. _Reveal_ yourself!" Two slashes to the torso elicited yet another yell of agony from the poor little boy. Never before had the kid felt such pain, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Do you see now? All these slashes mean nothing. He's healing right before us as we speak. Is this the sign of a human being?! Is it?!" With each pause, he stabbed at the boy, and before long, pain filled cries permeated the area.

"Stop it! Please, just stop it!" One of the girls at the orphanage began crying, "Stop making Naruto-chan hurt!"

"Yeah, yeah! Why are you making him cry?"

"You're all bad people!"

"Stop hurting him!"

"Get away from him!"

"Yeah!"

"Silence!" Danzo roared at the children, causing them all to shrink back in fear, "Ignorant fools, what you see before you is the image of a demon, as it should be, begging for its life as it licks my feet." Yet another slice later, "Uzumaki Naruto does not exist, all that it is, is a _demon_! Now, one last time, _reveal_ yourself!" This time, sword simply pierced through his stomach, causing Naruto to choke on the blood in his mouth, unable to even scream anymore.

Sarutobi had charged forward as all this took place, but one twitch of the bomb in Danzo's hand had him stay rooted to his spot. This bastard had definitely planned it well.

"I see that this village needs some punishing for actually helping the demon too. I fail to see why humans would actually stoop so low as to save a demon that should be dead! Ne!"

The children's eyes grew fearful as they were herded towards the disgusting old man. Sarutobi's eyes widened, "Danzo!"

With a flick of his wrist, the Ne leader released the bomb in his hands, causing it to explode, taking with it a huge chunk of the orphanage behind them and a few residences around it.

"I'm serious, Sarutobi. Do not test my patience."

The Sandaime could only wonder where he obtained such powerful weapons. There had been no signs of any suspicious activity prior to this at all!

"You, girl, come over here."

"N-no…"

"I said, come over here!" Reaching out, he grabbed the little girl by the wrist and wrenched her over to Naruto, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Here, demon. Since you want to prove that you're nice, let's strike a deal. Reveal yourself and I won't do _this_." One swift motion later, the girl screamed out in agony as blood spurted from her hand, revealing a huge wound that Danzo had just inflicted on her.

"No! N-no! Na-nanako chan!" Little Naruto coughed as he tried to stand up, "L-let her go, I don't k-know w-what you m-mean, but p-please, let h-her go!" His throat was raw from all the yelling.

"Still playing games, are we? Well then, too bad." Raising his blade, he shook his head mockingly, "She dies."

"Wha - ?"

Before his very eyes, the blade impaled itself on Nanako's shoulder, eliciting yet another scream from the poor girl.

"NO!" Naruto sprung from the ground towards Danzo, "Let her go!"

With ease, the Ne leader smacked him back to the ground, with the blade pointed towards the girl, "Pathetic demon. Who do you think you're talking to?"

"N-nanako…"

"For your insolence, this is the result!" A slice later, the girl lay dead on the ground.

"NO!!!"

The uproar from the crowd plus the outrage of Sarutobi didn't faze Danzo in the least, "You see what happens when a demon is among us? They pollute us, lie to us and make us befriend them, before leading us to our deaths. Simply disgusting."

Little Naruto had crawled over to Nanako, "Nanako-chan… nanako-chan, wake up…" Shaking her lightly, he shivered as the lack of warmth on her body hit him. "No, Nanako-chan, you haven't had breakfast yet! We were supposed to play all day, and then make a tiara from those pretty flowers we found that day! Nanako-chan!"

"Enough of this foolishness." Danzo rammed his knee into little Naruto, causing him to fall over as the blade struck him once again. But this time, Naruto held the gasp of pain in, staring up at the Ne leader with fury and misery in his eyes, "Why… why did you kill her?!"

"I didn't kill her. You did."

"No! I saw you! You killed her with your sword!"

"Because you confounded her, you made her think you were her friend. I saved her by killing her, lest she spread the disease further." Danzo spoke with absolute arrogance, his lone eye trained on Naruto as he pushed the blade deeper into Naruto's body, "Now scream!"

And scream he did, as the blade not only pierced his lungs, but went right through his back. The pain was unbearable, and nothing Naruto did could make it stop. It wasn't just him that was in pain, Nanako-chan…

"It's our your fault, demon. None of this would have happened had you not existed." Danzo continued, "Your existence itself is a crime!"

"My existence… is a crime…?"

"Precisely. Grab the boy over." And once again, the other boy that had spoken up for Naruto was brought over to Naruto, with the blade held at his neck, "I ask you again, will you reveal yourself?!"

"No! Don't do it, don't harm Jiro!" The poor boy was hysterical by now, fear gripping his heart at the very sight of his playmate being threatened in this way.

"Will you reveal yourself?!"

"I will! I will! I'm this demon you keep saying! Just let Jiro go!" Tears were falling down his cheeks as he tried to do his best to appease this insane old man to let his friend go.

"I'll count to three."

"Wha –"

"One."

"I don't – "

"Two."

"No wait!"

"Three."

Jiro fell to the ground, devoid of any life.

"Too slow, demon."

"NOOOO!"

Clutching the dead body of his friend, he cried even harder, "Why did you do that?! I said I am the demon already didn't I?! Why did you kill him?!"

Danzo simply shook his head, "I grow tired of this. Fine, be obstinate about your false identity. Carry it to your death with you. Ne!"

"Burn him alive." Danzo began his walk back towards Sarutobi, an arrogant smirk on his lips, "Oh." Turning his head, he gestured towards the children, "Burn them too."

"Hai, Danzo-sama."

"NO!" The crowd gasped in horror, unable to do anything but watch as the officers poured cans of oil onto the children, ignoring their sputtering and struggles, their cries and shrieks, only carrying out their duties like the mindless robots they were.

"I'm going to show you, Sarutobi, what it's like to suffer my wrath." Danzo laughed as he gazed at the furious look on his face, "It's a pity really. Had there been no hostages, you might have been able to stop me. But it's all too late. Not even you could get pass fifty Ne officers to prevent me from throwing this match."

Lighting it up, Danzo simply shook his head, "This is the end." Flicking it with his finger, his eyes traced the match gleefully as he cackled at the final demise of the demon, "Die!"

"ENOUGH!" Yukari simply couldn't handle it any longer. Nanako and Jiro had died, killed by this perverse man, and now, Naruto and the rest of them were about to be burned alive. There was no way she could allow that to happen, even if it meant her life!

Breaking off the ropes around her, she charged forth. Because the Ne officers thought she was a mere civilian, only a few of her tenketsu were sealed.

In a brutally efficient move, her arm locked itself around the neck of one of the Ne officers, snapping it as she dashed past, using her momentum to easily execute the move. She was one of the finest ANBU under the Sandaime's rule and it was no surprise that she knew how to kill someone in the fastest way possible.

As a female, her flexibility, agility and speed were her aces, and it showed as she took all three Ne officers surrounding her by surprise, ending their lives before they could react accordingly. The last one had succeeded in a placing a cut on her arm, but that was it, his right arm was sticking out through his back after Yukari was done with him.

In one desperate move, she flung the debris of rope on her at the match stick, successfully pushing it out of its original route, causing it to land away from the oil-drenched children. However, the match stick had rolled back, flames refusing to die as it sparked the oil drops on the ground, burning up a trail to the children as it surged towards them, threatening to engulf them.

"NARUTO!"

The crippled old man seemed startled as this woman advanced on him with alarming speed. Narrowing his eyes, he waved his hand, "Finish her off."

In no time, Yukari found herself engaging ten Ne officers, fully armed and ready to kill. She, on the other hand, had nothing but her fists and a slightly impaired chakra system, along with years of experience to pull her through.

But none of that mattered. All she could think of was to protect Naruto. Somehow forcing her way through them, she dashed with all her might and landed in front of Naruto, her arms spread out, holding Naruto in them, her knees firmly etched into the ground, the crash caused a small crater to form before Naruto and the others, cutting off the fire in the nick of time.

"Yukari-san!" Naruto gasped.

"Are you alright, Naruto?"

However, before the little boy could reply, he felt Yukari-san's body shudder consecutively, before he felt pain at his stomach.

"Yukari-san?"

When he looked up, the blood dripping from her lips was enough to get him frantic, "Yukari-san?!" Lowering his head, he saw that five blades had torn through her body, with the intention of taking her life along with Naruto's.

"N-Nar-ruto…"

He couldn't speak, he didn't know what to do. Her trembling hands gently caressed his face as she held him closer, "D-don't b-be afr-raid…"

"You're bleeding! You're hurt! You – "

"It's o-ok-kay…"

"Yukari-san!"

Her fragile smile broke his heart as she leaned on him, her body lacking the strength to stay upright as her life slowly faded away.

There it was, the opening Sarutobi had been waiting for all along. Danzo had been distracted by the outburst of Yukari, and without any more hesitation, he charged into the fray. Bypassing the defense, Sarutobi had reached Danzo in a fury, disabling him in a series of brutal grasps as he ensured that the man would never be able to activate any of the weapons he had planted.

The ANBU had all acted accordingly and it became an all out war against Ne, where jutsu and weapons flew everywhere, screams of worry and agony as the civilians rushed to take cover, and the other shinobi joining in the fray. There was no longer any time to hesitate as all Konoha Shinobi took on the Ne, determined to put an end to the growth of these corrupted roots.

Even as the surroundings became a lot more chaotic than before, Naruto didn't care. All he focused on was the fact that Yukari-san was dying…

"Do y-you re-me-mber, N-naruto? W-what I p-promised…?"

"Yes! Yes! I remember! Please, stop talking, you need to save your strength!" Tears were flowing down his cheeks as he held on to Yukari tightly, "Please don't leave me!"

A soft chuckling was heard, and though she coughed up more blood, her eyes remained gentle and seemed devoid of suffering, "You l-little b-baka…" Her hands lightly framed his face as she kissed him lightly on the forehead, "L-like a star… in m-my night… Y-you w-will always b-be a part… of… me…"

"No, no! Yukari-san!" Watching her close her eyes, fear overwhelmed him as he desperately held onto the woman he adored, "Yukari-san!"

"Remember… I love you, Naruto…"

"Yukari-san! Yukari-san!"

And as her body slouched onto his, her breathing stopped, Naruto could only hold her there, his mind numb from the shock.

Yukari-san… was dead.

"No…" He shook his head, "No."

"NO!" A rush of power erupted within him as he desperately called out in his mind, "NO! I WON'T LET HER DIE!"

As though beckoning his call, a certain pair of eyes opened, and for the first time in six years, she spoke in a quiet voice, "It's time…"

And everything turned grey. Naruto stared at the female before him, the same lady that he had kept company for six years every night. "Kyu-chan! Please! Help her!"

The red-head simply gazed at him, and a voice sounded in his mind, "Will you do anything to save her? Will you give up your life for her?"

"Yes! I will! I will do anything! So please, oh, I beg you, please help me!" He was desperate, his mind in a frenzy, unable to think, unable to act. He was but a six year old, he was but a child. He couldn't do anything.

He was weak. He let this happen. He caused Yukari-san's death…

It was all _his_ fault.

And all he could do was sob, with her dead body in his arms, and repeatedly beg Kyu-chan to somehow help him. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know anything…

"Will you swear on your soul, that you will never regret this decision?" Her eyes bore into his, her face expressionless as she watched him.

For some reason, all the fear Naruto felt seemed detached in that moment. It was as if he was separated into another dimension, one devoid of all feelings, only allowing reason of thought to be processed. His mind could only focus on the sentence Yukari-san had said to him…

_Like a star, in my night, you'll always be a part of me._

"It's okay."

Eyes widening, he saw a familiar man with blond hair and a white cape appear before him, a sad smile on his face.

"Who…"

"Don't cry."

Little Naruto shook his head, "I-I'm not crying!"

The figure chuckled a bit, before ruffling his hair, "Good boy."

"W-where are we?"

"We're in your mind."

"H-huh? B-but, but Yukari-san –"

"We have plenty of time." The yellow haired guy sat down beside him, "You've really grown from when I last saw you."

"H-huh? L-last saw me?"

"Yeah, you were only 'this' big." He gestured a size with his hands, and grinned, "I'm glad to see you again."

All of a sudden, Naruto realized why this guy had seemed so familiar. "Y-you're Yondaime! Yondaime Hokage!"

"Yes, I am." He seemed to smile at his son's recognition of him, but then turned grim as he looked at Naruto, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Naruto looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Will you trust your 'Kyu-chan' to save Yukari-san?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I!"

"Even if it means changing your entire life? Even if it means you might be doomed forever?"

"There's nothing to think! I don't care as long as Yukari-san is alive again!" Tears were beginning to form again as he sobbed, "It's all my fault! If I had been smarter or stronger, Yukari-san would never have had to save me!" He then rubbed his eyes in a rough swipe and glared up at the blond man, "I don't care what you're saying, nor do I give a damn about what is going to happen to me, but I trust Kyu-chan!"

Yondaime laughed as he shook his head in exasperation, "Yeah, mine alright."

Naruto was surprised when the stranger chose to ruffle his head, before whispering, "I see now. I guess it's settled, I'm with you all the way." As though something had been settled, the stranger's figure began to slowly fade away.

"W-wait! Where are you going?!"

"Haha, don't fuss. We'll meet again soon enough. Just remember one thing, Naruto." His voice echoed as he disappeared into the darkness, "We'll always be a part of you."

Eyes widening, Naruto suddenly felt himself expelled from that plane of existence, back into the grey surrounding with Kyu-chan standing in front of him, arms crossed in expectation, "Well?"

_Like a star, in my night, you'll always be a part of me…_

She was right, Yukari-san would always be a part of him, and there was no way in hell that he would just let her go like this. He was the cause of her death he would be damned if he just let her go.

_Remember… I love you, Naruto._

Yes, no matter the consequence…

"I swear! Be it my limbs, my organs or my life! I'll gladly give it up for her!" His being shone with a golden aura as he made the oath, a tingling feeling spreading down his spine as he gazed at Kyu-chan in full confidence.

For the first time, in so many years, he heard her voice. It was a melodious one, "So granted, my love…"

A torrent of chakra engulfed the entire area, forming a gigantic tornado of energy as it forced all those near it back, including one completely astonished Sarutobi.

There had only been once that he felt such an overwhelming power. It was Kyuubi six years ago, its malevolent chakra threatening to destroy anything that dared stand in its way.

But this… this was different.

It was soothing, calm and held such warmth that Sarutobi felt all his worries go away. In the midst of all this, the Konoha citizens and shinobi watched as a fox materialized in the middle of the whirlpool, yipping joyfully, before vanishing altogether with the chakra, leaving an empty spot with Naruto and Yukari nowhere to be seen.

The pact had been made.

A demon's bond with a human formed.

Three lives interconnected in ways one could never hope to intrude.

The search for the lost paradise had begun.

* * *

_**I did it. I got it down. Yes! I'm extremely satisfied right now because I've had this idea for quite awhile, and to see it finally in words makes me proud beyond belief. **_

_**I hope all of you enjoy this and would appreciate it if you could comment on it through reviews. Questions will be accepted through PM and reviews.**_

_**This is a NaruFemkyuubi fic, and completely AU, done in a way never seen before. I guarantee a refreshing experience, and hopefully, you guys will stay with me throughout this fic.  
**_

_**What has happened to Naruto?**_

_**What will happen to Yukari-san?**_

_**What did Kyuubi mean? **_

_**Find out next chapter in Lost Paradise. **_

_**A new note from me. I've placed one of the reviews I've received regarding this fic. It's more of a flame than anything, and if you want to see what he had to say and what I had to say back, please check my profile page for the full details. It's quite amusing since I've rarely shown what I do when I'm tired. Oh well, hope you had a nice time. Also, if you have something to complain about, you might as well check that out as well. I've pretty much covered all the possible stuff you could have complained about. Thanks guys.  
**_


	2. Birth

_**A/N: Ideas I simply couldn't get rid of, they just keep popping up and I had to put them down. I've pretty much realized that I love to start things, but sadly, I'm not much of a finisher. **_

_**So yeah, until July, the update schedule for my fics would be pretty hectic. What with tests and all sorts of crap flying everywhere, life just isn't too nice right now. But at least I still update, so all is well. **_

_**I hope you enjoy this, because, well, I'm having a blast writing it, haha. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**_

_**Previously on Lost Paradise…**_

"_I swear! Be it my limbs, my organs or my life! I'll gladly give it up for her!"_

_For the first time, in so many years, he heard her voice. It was a melodious one, "So granted, my love…" _

_A torrent of chakra engulfed the entire area, forming a gigantic tornado of energy as it forced all those near it back, including one completely astonished Sarutobi._

_In the midst of all this, the Konoha citizens and shinobi watched as a fox materialized in the middle of the whirlpool, yipping joyfully, before vanishing altogether with the chakra, leaving an empty spot with Naruto and Yukari nowhere to be seen. _

_The pact had been made. _

_A demon's bond with a human formed. _

_Three lives interconnected in ways one could never hope to intrude. _

_The search for the lost paradise had begun.

* * *

_

Lost Paradise

Chapter 2: Birth

"_Kimi dake o, kimi dake o, suki de ita yo." ~ "It's only you, It's only you, who I loved." – from __时を刻む唄 __of Clannad After Story_

Flashes of light illuminated the area, the surroundings rushing past him in a hurry, like a tape fast forwarding continuously, the images that formed barely linking to each other before they disappeared once again without a trace.

_Where am I?_

Blurs everywhere, incoherent voices calling out, stringing onto each other, creating layer upon layer, yet for some reason, they do not feel chaotic. In fact, they feel familiar, close and sometimes, even soothing.

_What is this?_

The last thing he could remember was being sucked into some kind of vortex, with flames licking his skin, caressing them in a loving way that he never would have thought possible. It felt like second nature to embrace the element, giving himself to it as he lost consciousness, thinking of it as the requirement Kyu-chan spoke of.

_Huh…?_

The whispering grew stronger as his thoughts wandered to the beautiful kitsune. The background soon sounded hushed, and instead of a mumbling of multiple voices, a select few sounded and certain images flashed before his eyes.

_Kyu-chan!_

A lone kitsune stood outside of the clan, eyeing them with distaste as it huffed and held its head high. There were few kitsune that seemed older that held sad expressions on their faces, but nevertheless, they were solemn and serious.

As swiftly as it appeared, the scene changed, to one of massacre, the kitsune tearing through the demons that kept piling up. Even though it put up a brave front and a ferocious fight, Naruto could hear the true voice calling. The desperation and disappointment that no one would recognize her power sounded loud and clear. Even as she plowed through them with ease, her eyes bled tears that should never have been on that lovely face. All she wanted was recognition, was it that hard for them to accept her?

Pain and anguish filled Naruto's heart as he moved deeper through the emotions, hearing the dimmed cries of agony, even as she withstood countless injuries to attain that level of strength, all the sufferings and misery she had endured to achieve nine tails of power and worst of all, the absolute loneliness that came with such a difficult task, she persevered.

She had to be strong.

She had to become strong.

She would show them all.

_Kyu… chan…_

The fury soon changed into uncertainty, images switched over to a much younger kitsune kit. With her tiny soft tails swinging merrily behind her, she stared at the ground, countless thoughts racing through her mind.

"What am I?"

"Who am I?"

Simple questions that no one answered, ones that she had to ponder for herself. She had no name, no links to those who gave birth to her, and no understanding of just why she was treated like this. It was such a conflict, where the other Kitsune would do everything to tend to her every need, yet none of them cared what she was doing. They would do something if she asked, but never would they volunteer their help. If anything, they seemed hostile of her. Just why was this so?

It was then she came to the conclusion that she would have to find the answers herself, and to one as young as her, the only way to do that would be to be the strongest of the entire clan. That way, they could not hold any information from her! Yes, that was what she would aim for. And happily, she bounced off to plan her route to strength.

Somehow, watching her in such high spirits made Naruto feel pain beyond belief. Spears of anxiety thrust through his heart as he realized that the pictures from before showed how Kyu-chan did not succeed in her goal. For that moment, the reason why the vixen always held such sadness within her gaze became clear in an instant.

He would always kiss her when she seemed down, and despite her constant protests to such behaviour, she soon gave up and instead, chose to smile softly at his childish attempts to cheer her up. But then again, Naruto was sure that she understood what he was trying to do.

To him, it wasn't childish, because he only wanted to see her smile. That was all, and as a child, that was the only thing on his mind that could possibly surprise the lady so much that she would relent and grace him with a lovely smirk.

He was jerked out of his reverie when the scene was suddenly engulfed in flames, with mass destruction everywhere. Screaming was heard from the background, and there stood Kyu-chan, majestic and glorious in her gigantic form, facing off against what would appear to be a gigantic toad, and another figure that stood on top of the toad's head. Against the dark, dim sky, Naruto could just about make out the bright blond hair. Of course! It was the Yondaime Hokage!

At this moment, all he felt from Kyu-chan was slight misery, combined with extreme frustration. All the stress bottled up had to go somewhere, and Konoha had been there at the wrong time. A few of the other bijuu had tried to rebel against her, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was bitter. She resented the fact that there would always be people in her way, always someone to disrupt her course of action just to prove that she was not the best. They didn't care for her reasons of achieving power; as long as it was her, they wouldn't allow it.

Simply put, a Kitsune with nine tails was never heard of. In the Summon Realm, one individual out of nine particular species would be born with powers way above any of their kin, and they would be identified by the appearance of a tail or tails. Only nine beings in the entire Summon Realm could have tails, and they were ranked as such, with one being the weakest, and nine being the strongest.

In the ancient times, it would seem that the dragon and the phoenix had both had nine, and fought each other for days on end until both of them perished for neither would give up. Hence, a demon with nine tails was practically unheard of for centuries, until Kyu-chan appeared. Not only was she a kitsune, but she was a mere kit when the nine tails had sprouted. And there was no way the Summon realm would acknowledge such blasphemy.

A trickster?

With Nine tails?!

Preposterous!

That had been the kind of view most people imprinted her with all her life, and to think that once again, the bijuu would defy her, even as she stood at the epitome of her strength. She simply couldn't stand it.

Was it so hard to be peaceful? Was it so difficult to let her have some peace? Why must everyone be so damn annoying?!

She had been stumbling around, negative emotions running wild as she blindly made her way around, exhausted both mentally and physically after the confrontations with the other bijuu. And then, it was chaos. She had been dragged into a fight with a shinobi village, one that she had no intention of having at first. But then, she thought with a savage pleasure, that why shouldn't she retaliate? It was time she became selfish and did something that made her happy instead of making everyone else satisfied.

And hence she fought, decimated and destroyed any shinobi that stood in her way. Even as she plowed through the puny humans, she couldn't help but feel her heart aching. This wasn't what she wanted, this wasn't helping her at all, yet she could do nothing else. If this was the only release of pain she could have, then yes, she would take it. She would kill them all!

_Please… just let the pain be gone…_

_I don't care anymore…_

Naruto's eyes widened as a new voice entered the scene and spinning around, there she was, standing silently, her long red hair flowing off her as she stood before him, eyes half closed, head tilted to the side, "So now, you know. You know exactly why I did that six years ago."

Naruto bit his lips, before sighing, "Yes, I do."

Kyu-chan walked towards him slowly, those mesmerizing crimson orbs choosing to gaze right into his cerulean ones, her emotions hesitantly being reined back as she neared him, "So? What is your decision?"

Naruto blinked, before shaking his head, "I'm not following."

Kyu-chan continued on, in that melodious voice of hers, "I am a demon, a full-fledged Kitsune, nine tails of power in my grasp. I butchered your kind on that very day six years ago. Will you still use me?"

The way her eyes locked onto his, unrelenting, unyielding as she steeled herself, ready for the inevitable answer that would without a doubt, shatter her, just like how it always was ever since she was born.

"No."

Though she tried to hide it, her entire being flinched ever so slightly, before she steadily replied, "I see, then – "

"I won't use you. Never use you, Kyu-chan." Naruto whispered as he moved forward, arms spreading apart, and to the vixen's immense shock, the blond embraced her totally and completely.

She faltered right then and there, her body melting at his very touch, leaning in willingly into his arms, her head resting under his chin, her face close to his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat, enjoying his warmth.

"I see now. I understand why Yondaime was there, and what he meant by that. He probably thought I wouldn't be able to handle this sudden change." Naruto chuckled, as he finally took a good look at himself.

Gone was the small, frail body of a six year old. In its place was a robust and fit torso, combined with muscular limbs and a much aged complexion; his hair much wilder than before, spiking out as his palm roamed the back of his head. Feeling the whisker-like marks on his face, he grinned as they seemed rougher and jagged.

His mind was enforced with knowledge that he had never had before, it was as though years of experience and information regarding shinobi and the demon world was inserted into his brain just like that. As a six year old, he was possibly one of the most intelligent child in his age group, but now, he felt like he would understand anything, be it a concept for a very complicated ninjutsu, or the specifics of the human body, and as stupid as it sounded, he thought he understood the meaning of his life. He just felt confident, his mind easily adjusting to any new situation, as proven by how smoothly he reacted to that string of memories played to him.

He had somehow been forced to grow all within what short time span he had been unconscious. But then again, there really wasn't a way to compare the difference in time in this dimension and the one he was from, seeing how this was a different space realm.

Time could be classified as a whole new type of dimension all together. Over the years, many have argued that time could be the fourth dimension that governs this universe, but now that Naruto was experiencing it himself, he understood. There was no way to classify just how fast it passed by, nor would there be a possibility to predict when it would just end. Humans' perception of it and their ways of setting a way to 'measure' time did not truly define this element.

As of now, Uzumaki Naruto was being 'reborn', to put it simply, for the mere phrase 'speeding up growth' did not truly cut it. Not only was Naruto's own potential being brought out at an alarming rate, his body had to cooperate with the sudden efflux of Kyuubi's chakra, and in order to stabilize his being itself, his cell structures had to morph and even carry out mutations to adjust themselves to the demonic tint within the energy that they were now going to be receiving in order to assist their reactions.

There was also the other bit. Yondaime Hokage, had apparently, sunk back into his original seal, and by doing that, had somehow enveloped himself within Naruto's conscious, not as a being, but merely as knowledge and thought processes. That was one of the main reasons why Naruto had suddenly become able to perceive interactions between two different beings with such ease. Had it been his own six year old self, he would simply think that using Kyu-chan was good, because that would mean saving Yukari-san, and by using Kyu-chan, he would be closer to the foxy lady as well, so all was good.

But the fact remained that the last thing Kyuubi needed right now was for her to be used. To say that she had been living a life for herself would be an outright lie. From the flashes that he witnessed, he had seen the pain and sorrow she had to withstand just by living, and though her reason in attacking Konoha had truly been one that only demons would use, he could not deny the fact that he couldn't find it in himself to fault her.

It could be because he was bias, or even because his body had already reacted to the demonic influence, but he really couldn't care less. Kyu-chan was one of the only two people currently in this world that he would do anything for, just to ensure that she remained _happy_. Laying down his life for her didn't even begin to show just how much he cared for her. Care received as a child always goes a long way, and because Kyu-chan had been there throughout all those nights, teaching him, educating him, and generally being a wonderful presence in his life, that he couldn't bear to see her hurt at all.

Knowledge of the Shinobi world and even his father's way of thinking had been incorporated into his essence, and hence, the reason that his father had met him that way was resolved. No longer would the two of them ever see each other, but to feel you truly having a part of your father within you made him really warm on the inside. Finally, he could say that he had 'known' someone related to him by blood. As an orphan, that really meant a lot to him. The knowledge was a good present, but to understand what your father had been through while he was holding his son after he was born, and just to catch a glimpse of how his mother actually looked like and how her loving gaze had lingered on him all the while made it all the more worthwhile to carry on his burden.

He could now face life right on and not have any doubts that he wasn't loved. The mental support that he had gained from this simple action would be enough to power him just as it had powered his father to attempt the supposed impossible feat.

Sealing a bijuu properly was thought to be impossible. In the past, Suna's one-tailed Jinchuuriki had always been either insane or completely devoid of self-will, mindless machines that did not comprehend anything else other than to kill, maim and destroy. The sealing was the reason. Unequal formulas and incorrect interpretations of the nature of chakra led to leakage within the seal, causing the demonic influence to not only interfere with the human's thought process, but to overwhelm it, destroy it and replace it with nothing but simple blood lust, a magnification of what the bijuu was feeling because of its imprisonment.

When Minato suggested sealing Kyuubi, everyone thought he was insane, Yondaime or not. The chances that the seal would fail were too high and the backlash that would result from that failure might detonate Konoha right on the spot. Half of the council members wanted to evacuate the village and start off anew elsewhere, seeing no other choice before the might of the strongest bijuu on this planet, Kyuubi.

Given his prowess in Fuinjutsu and his excellent theory overall on the manipulation, control and basically the _understanding_ of chakra was superb, Sandaime had eventually agreed and let him carry on his project of the Hakke Fuin Shiki. The question was always the same in these cases. Who was to be the container?

The choices were limited and though multiple names were put forth, none of them were actually considered. Minato himself rejected them all, for the simple reason that his sealing did not work like others and could not have an adult as a container. The bijuu would be forced to aid the container with its growth, unlike the other Jinchuuriki in the world, where the bijuu actively resisted the container's influence and did whatever it wanted. Rumours were that you had to either merge completely with your bijuu for it to even consider what you want, and that situation was something Minato could not have.

No, the bijuu would listen, whether it liked it or not.

Then, there came the problem of a sacrifice. Well, that bit was simple. He himself would be it. After all, the sacrifice had to be in complete sync with him in terms of chakra flow, regulation of the four aspects of Nature, focus of the eight divinations and all sorts of other stuff. The simplest solution would be to let his own essence be used up for this, and that was what he went with.

The day had finally arrived where Kyuubi attacked them. It had seemed to shy away from them at first, but then rushed at them with a vengeance. The menacing anger emanated from its chakra could be felt miles away and the whole of Konoha was on guard.

It was also the day Kushina gave birth to Naruto.

Minato did all that he could and tried to hold Kyubi at bay. He had no choice! The possibility that he came up with was thrown right out of the window. Sealing such an enormous chakra capacity within himself _and_ taking it to death with him was pretty much impossible. At best, he could take about four tails worth before his body exploded from the sheer pressure. He wouldn't be able to finish the sequence and well, five tails were pretty much all it needed to crush Konoha anyway.

Regrettably, he sighed, knowing that he had no other choice. He had to use an infant.

The irony…

Contrary to popular belief, fuinjutsu wasn't just insanely hard. It was completely infuriating. One would question just why using an infant would succeed where the Yondaime Hokage, one well known for his chakra capacity and control, would fail.

Apparently, an infant would not attempt to absorb any of the chakra during the sealing process. There would be no influx of demonic aura at all when it comes to an infant. When born, at their most vulnerable states, it would appear that nature gave them the most powerful weapon of all. The ability to take in _no exterior essence_, retaining but his/her own life force, and keeping it that way as it matures.

What was essence?

Humans have souls. Souls could be good or bad, like the cliché stories told in ancient tales. They will be influenced at some point in life, but _never_ right after birth. The souls of infants remain intact, for the brains of the infants would not yet be developed to the extent for it to comprehend the exterior forces working on it, and hence would be treated as a 'passive' state by any other essences that revolve around it.

Hence, conclusion was drawn by sealing masters that every single person had a unique essence, much related to chakra and their own life force. It flares like an invisible aura around the person and through actions, the intent of the people performing the actions amplify the essence, mingling them with other people so that each of them get 'benefits'.

Take for example, a man helping an old lady. Anyone seeing this would assume that the man is 'kind'. Why is that?

Sealing masters argue that this is not merely using common sense of knowledge, but actually the essence of a person interfering with theirs, transferring the 'intent' of the man's actions to the others around him, and in such a way, show that he is 'kind'.

Minato had turned that theory, and hence reasoned, that _because_ an infant would be 'intact' from exterior essences, sealing Kyuubi _within_ it would cause _none_ of the pressure expected, due to the fact that any killing intent or anger would have absolutely _no_ effect on the 'ignorant' baby. Sealing it within _him_, such a marvelous genius of chakra, would combust him on the spot. The more in control of your chakra, the more essence affected you, the more in understanding of chakra, the more essence influenced you.

That complicated bit done with, Minato was faced with the shaking face of one Uzumaki Kushina. Every time Minato went into one of those trances where he would just stare at something with his eyes wide open, she felt like slapping him out of it. The fact that he was staring at _their_ baby made it all the creepier.

Knowing him, he was probably going to do something drastic like sacrifice their baby or something…

No, she didn't think that.

_No_, he wouldn't that…

He _better_ not do that.

And it was then where Minato snapped out of it and quickly outlined his plan to her. Staring at her husband as if he was insane, she raised an eyebrow and shot down that idea in an instant.

What a retard! How could he even possibly think that sealing a freaking chakra entity within their baby after he killed himself to maintain a link between said entity and infant could possibly solve _anything_?!

Ok, so she was hyperventilating, but who cared?!

Did this idiot even realize that there would be no way that the link could even be maintained for that long? He would obviously need a catalyst of some sort so that _their_ baby would survive!

What was he thinking going into this alone?

Did he not have brains or something?

Some genius he was.

Apparently, she had said those thoughts out loud, and looking at the horrified expressions on her husband's face, she couldn't help but sigh in amusement.

Minato's worst fears were confirmed when Kushina declared that she would be the catalyst. What was with this woman?! Did she not understand that she had to _die_ and that he _didn't_ want her to die?! Was it so hard to comprehend the fact he was going to _die_ so that _she_ didn't have to?!

Women.

Too damn troublesome.

Watching this memory, Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

_This _was what his parents were doing right when the mighty Kyuubi was at their doorsteps?

Beside him, Kyu-chan shook her head in exasperation. Naruto was their son alright. No wonder he had dared kiss her when he first met her. She just knew that he wasn't right in the head.

Now there was proof. His parents weren't either.

Somehow, Naruto thought that he should have felt hurt that his parents decided to use him without a single protest. He should have been disappointed in their willingness to try out this seemingly insane project.

But he didn't. Quite the contrary, he felt pleased and proud. His father chose _him_ to seal one of the legendary beasts, because Minato trusted him. His mother chose to sacrifice herself so that _he_ didn't get damaged the by the backlash that was bound to occur from this gigantic sealing process.

They weren't the kind to lament on the past, nor were they the kind to yearn for the future. What mattered was the simple present. And to the both of them, they knew what had to be done.

Kushina and Minato had been together during the sealing. Naruto saw how they had both cradled their baby with the utmost care and shielded him from most of the chakra waves that were splashing onto the area around them. Kushina had placed a kiss on his cheek, before she forced her own chakra around him, layering it so that it would not penetrate and the sealing would proceed without complications.

Minato's last words to him were a simple "Be good."

Not "Be strong."

Not "Be safe."

But "Be good."

Naruto understood now that his father had no doubts that he would be strong and safe. Konoha was his village, and he ruled it for a time, to understand that while there would be prejudices, overall, Naruto wouldn't be too bad off. Besides, he was his son, so he could just suck it up as he grew up. Life wasn't fair, it never will be, and that was a precious lesson to be learned.

At this moment, Naruto fully understood what Minato meant by "Be good". He wanted his son to enjoy his life, to do what he wanted and to help others get what they wanted too. Normally, Naruto would say that was impossible, because being a 'good' person would be insanely difficult in the world of Shinobi. But then again, he was never the cliché ninja to begin with, especially not after the confrontation with Kyu-chan moments ago.

He would be good. Oh yes, that he would be.

No more pain, no more sorrow, no more _wars_.

That's a pretty 'good' thing to make happen, right?

Sure, it wouldn't be one hundred percent, but hey, seventy-five percent would be pretty sweet.

Kyu-chan was currently staring at him with the most bemused expression, and he could help but caress her face as he chuckled, "Don't mind me; dad's essence is 'interfering' as we speak."

Groaning at the fact that he was already into those stupid seal theory stuff, she resisted a snort and sighed, "How can you be so amused all the time?"

She crossed her arms across her bosom and shrugged in an exasperated manner, "Shouldn't any other _normal_ being be extremely upset and distraught that their parents would just decide to kill themselves and place a huge burden on their just born son?" Her eyes dimmed slightly at the mention of 'burden', "Don't you regret being born?"

Silence reigned in the void as Kyuubi closed her eyes, remembering her own past and how she simply could not deal with the pain and sorrow in her life anymore. Not being acknowledged and always shunned had made her accept the harsh realities present in her own realm.

She was shaken out of her reverie when a hand gently stroked her cheek, sliding smoothly along her skin before resting below her chin, lifting it lightly as her crimson orbs gazed into cerulean blue.

"I don't regret it." His words rang loud in her ears as her eyes widened ever so slightly, the expression of disbelief written over her face as she stared at the boy, no, _man_ in front of her.

Tilting his head slightly, he bent down, lips hovering just over hers, his gaze never broken as he grinned, "If I weren't born, then how would I have met you, Kyu-chan?"

The soft hush of his voice drew Kyuubi in, the air blowing lightly over her lips, enticing her, alluring her, drawing her to him. Subconsciously, she leaned forward, searching for his lips, only for him to pull back just an inch or so, just out of reach. This continued for a few more seconds, before Naruto finally planted a deep kiss on her mouth, savoring her taste as he pulled her into a warm embrace.

Almost losing herself completely to his love, Kyuubi barely managed to pull away, her breath slightly rushed as her gaze lingered on the smirking blond before her. Everything he did to her felt so natural, her instincts understanding his every move perfectly, and right now, she wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms, and stay forever in this sanctuary.

It was extremely unbecoming for a demon lord, a _Kitsune_ demon lord especially, to even consider such an option. She was supposed to be the best, the strongest and the mightiest entity of them all, and yet…

Naruto brushed his fingers through her hair and chuckled, "What's wrong Kyu-chan? Feeling guilty after taking a jailbait?"

That brought her out of the reverie as she raised an eyebrow, remembering the bold, unpredictable and mischievous six year old, yet in its place stood someone enough to be considered a young adult.

"Very funny, Uzumaki." Swatting his hand away, she regained her composure, deciding to think about this development at a later time. After all, she had a promise to carry out.

Naruto simply laughed, before focusing, "Will you be alright by yourself?"

Kyuubi huffed before shaking her head, "I'm not as frail as I look."

The grown-up blond walked behind her, tracing his fingers gently up her spine, sending delightful shivers through her body, before finally resting on her shoulder, his face rubbing her cheek in an affectionate manner, just like how he did it when he was a child, "No, but you're just as precious."

Kyuubi barely resisted a purr at the comment, before unwillingly detaching herself from him, "I'll be fine. You just take care of your Yukari-_san_." Her tone held a teasing note, "Wouldn't want her to be freaked out by you now, would we?"

Naruto sighed, "To be honest, I should be freaked out, if anything." He rotated his neck once, letting an audible crack echo through the area, before nodding, "But nah, I'm just not like that."

The redhead looked at him for a short while, before smiling, "I'm glad you're my vessel."

The blond started for a bit, before laughing and replying in a cheeky tone, "Ah, I'm always here to serve."

Scowling, Kyuubi playfully slapped him on the head before wrapping her tails around her and disappearing from the void.

Naruto stared at the spot for a few moments, before sighing, "Talk about raging hormones. Least I don't have to worry about puberty anymore." Rolling his eyes at the randomness of that particular thought, he quickly brought himself back to focus.

Yukari-san was still waiting for him. Yes, she would definitely still be there. There were quite a few problems however. Just what would she say about this 'new' him?

Normal people don't just zoom from six year old to the body of a twenty year old in a day or two, nor do they suddenly gain vast amounts of knowledge of about pretty much everything ranging from shinobi matters to the most personal matters such as ninety-nine different positions of making love. Yes, _ninety-nine_.

Apparently his parents got bored and started experimenting, but seriously, that piece of information could be done without. It just so happened that he had to inherit _all_ his father's knowledge, unable to filter out stuff. Well, at least he still retained himself and he should probably be glad that he didn't have his father constantly nagging about stuff like a third voice or something in his head. That would _seriously_ be screwed up.

Kyuubi's knowledge aided him as well, and perhaps that was why he knew instantly just what the vixen craved, what she needed and what he needed to do to complete her. He was no longer naïve.

The pact had been formed, he would always be one with her, and together, they would accomplish great things that no one had ever dared dream of. Maybe venturing into the God's realm wouldn't be too difficult after they were done with the human one.

He loved her, ever since he was a boy, he had loved her.

To Naruto, there really wasn't that much difference in the way he loved. He hadn't the opportunity to show 'brotherly' love, or 'lover' love, or whatever. If he loved, he loved with his heart. As far as he was concerned, he had only felt that way for two.

He would save them both, Kyu-chan from her abyss, Yukari-san from her hell.

"Alright, enough thoughts. Let's do this." For the first time since his forced growth, Naruto reached into his core, and silently searched for the power that lay within. It wasn't long before his eyes flashed open, a flare of the purest white engulfing his entire being. Bracing himself, he held his hands before him, before plunging them into the air.

Slowly but surely, he could feel it. The space and time dimensions were getting distorted by his external interruption.

"Come on!" Pulling his arms apart, it was quite the impressive sight as a rift was dragged open before him.

"Here goes nothing!" Diving in head first, he rushed into his destination. Oh yes, he knew where he had to go. He had been under the impression that he had been in his mind all along, and yet that proved to be untrue the moment he reached out with his chakra. Conversing with Kyu-chan only served to prove his theories true, that they were indeed in the fine line of void that separated the living and the dead.

It wasn't all that surprising. Accepting Kyu-chan's vast chakra by absorbing it into his body while at the same time, letting the shadow of his father activate all the hidden potential within him had at least a fifty percent chance that he would be killed. Musing that Kyu-chan probably brought them there so that if he did die, she would rush in to save him herself, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head at the vixen's affection.

Well, it was a pact, and there was no way that could be broken. Right now, all that was left would be for him to save Yukari, once and for all. First, the soul, and then… the body.

"Ready or not, Yukari-san, here I come!"

Penetrating the barriers with ease, he arrived in an entirely different setting, landing gracefully onto the ground as he eyed his surroundings with caution. Unlike what people normally thought, the realm of the dead was not filled with desert-like crevasses nor was it endless plains portraying the perfect picture of tranquility.

The realm of the dead was essentially different to every single person, interconnected only if the souls had truly accepted their deaths and chose to 'move on'. The scene that any dead being would have within this dimension would be the one and only place that they could feel truly at peace in. That being said, he was currently in Yukari-san's 'death realm', and right before his eyes, was the very orphanage that he had spent six years with her.

He could just feel her presence within the matron's room, emotions echoing off the walls as he walked into the building. Every step he took, he braced himself for the inevitable outcome of this intrusion. It just wouldn't do for him to get interrupted while he attempted to rescue a dead person now, would it?

Oh, apparently, bringing someone back to life was forbidden.

Hm… Nah, he didn't care.

Finally reaching the designated room, he took a deep breath, before pushing it open, seeing before his eyes a perfectly 'intact' Yukari-san holding a photo frame to her chest, weeping.

For that moment, Naruto couldn't speak. The vivid image of how Yukari-san had died in his arms was too horrifying for him to forget anytime soon. His lips parted slightly, his breath caught in his throat. His hands reached out, before halting, merely wanting to continue seeing this woman before him, not wanting her to fade away like she did before.

On an impulse, he rushed forward and scooped her into his arms in one swift motion, embracing her like he always did, with all his love and care, with all his warmth and tenderness. Her gasp followed by a confused gaze at his face stopped him temporarily in his tracks, making him curse himself for not telling her who he was.

Yet, the way her hand slowly rose to cup his cheek, squeezing it once before stroking those whisker marks of his, how her eyes became half-closed, a sigh left her lips followed by a bemused sentence, "It looks like I really do miss him too much, but humour me." With a slightly raised eyebrow, she gave a sad smile before whispering, "Naruto?"

Eyes widened, Naruto barely resisted the urge to gape and instead, let loose a gigantic grin, one that threatened to split his face as he gave a huge nod, "Yep."

Chuckling, Yukari-san simply shook her head, "I wish." Her gaze was so longing, her caress so soothing, and yet the melancholy lingered.

"It's okay, I understand. I did what I had to. All I could ask for would be for him to lead a happy life." Closing her eyes, she lightly pushed the blond back, before bowing, "Whoever you are, I thank you for letting me see this dream. I guess now's a good time for me to accept my fate."

Even as she said it, her body began to glow, and slowly, her hands began to become transparent. An eerie aura slowly surrounded her body as she stood there, waiting for all this to end.

_Goodbye… Naruto…_

She had a good life, even if she couldn't forget the horrors of the ANBU, she still made herself useful for her village and for the later part of her life, had Naruto redeem her. She was completed by the blond and would never forget about him.

One moment she was disappearing, the next, her eyes were wide open, disbelief etched all over her face as she watched the blond place his lips onto hers, his tongue entangling with hers, kissing her as she lay limp in his arms.

_What the…_

"Man, that was close."

_Huh?_

"You really do scare me at times, Yukari-san."

_Wait, wait… what?_

"I'm guessing saying I'm Naruto again wouldn't do any good in making you believe me?"

_No seriously, what?_

"You do realize I can sorta tell what you're thinking right now by the expression on your face right?"

_This has to be some kind of a joke. _

"Well, as much as I like to hang around, I believe it's time to get you out of here. Wouldn't want you to 'move on' now, would we?"

_What, the, hell?_

Naruto, on the other hand, had to pat himself on the back for daring to attempt such a move. But then again, ever since he was young, he knew that kissing someone would be the best way to get a person's attention, and well, he definitely needed to get her attention just now, or else she would have ascended into Heaven, and that would just make things ten times more difficult.

Or maybe a hundred times, but who cares.

This was the borderline to the death realm, and obviously, for someone to truly 'move on', there had to be some sort of 'collector' of souls, right? At least, that's what Naruto had gathered from the information Kyuubi gave him. And that was quite a lot of information, considering how the vixen had lived for quite some time. One did not count the number of years in the summon realm the same way you do with the human realm. It just didn't work that way.

Carrying her bridal style in his arms, Naruto dashed out of the house. Meaning, he had to crash through the 'windows' at top speed before the entire place collapsed.

Now, why was the place collapsing?

Yukari could only stare wide-eyed at the rubble that was 'the orphanage' before.

"What the… You better have a good explanation for this!"

Naruto smiled grimly, "Oh, but I do! Then again, let's do the talking later."

The ex-kunoichi was about to retort when she noticed the entire area shaking vigorously, with multiple cracks appearing on the 'ground'. Gulping as landslides began to form; she gave a meek nod, "Good decision."

Laughing loudly, the blond's eyes glowed gold, "I knew you'll see it my way."

In a burst of speed, they were off. Yukari could only feel a sudden slam of wind currents into her being that was somewhat shielded by the blond carrying her, before her mind reeled from the velocity they were travelling at.

She was a Kunoichi before, and to say she travelled fast was an understatement, but this was ridiculous. This wasn't running at all, this was just pure _speed_.

Barely able to turn her head, she gasped in surprise when she realized that the 'ground' that used to be behind them, was now falling off.

_Wait a minute… Falling off…? _

It was then realization hit her. The black abyss that appeared in place of what used to be soothing imagery really hit her hard.

_Would I have… been stuck in there?_

"The moment you accepted your death, it signified the end to this realm. There was no need for it to exist anymore for you have embraced your death, and that's why, we're gonna escape."

As fast as they were moving, the destruction of path was quickly gaining on them, and it would seem that the road before them was endless. In fact, where were they going? Yukari stared at the blond, wondering just what else was going to happen.

Imagine her shock when the supposed 'Naruto' simply smirked, "Time to shift gears…"

Flames erupted off his body, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the female in his arms, making his smirk all the more wider. This was the first time he reached in to tap his potential, and to feel all that lukewarm energy flowing freely through your veins before suddenly light up and heat up your entire being was one of the best things he could have experienced.

_Whoa! What is this?! Some kind of booster?! _

Yukari spent but a second to admire the incredible gush of winds that were rushing past them, generated by the sheer velocity at which they were travelling, before she realized something…

_Wait, why are we… above the ground…? _

It was then where her entire being was in for another shock.

_What the hell?! _

"Sit tight, Yukari-san, flight's about to get real rough."

"Huh? WHOA!"

With the blond suddenly swerving to the left, a huge blast of dark energy surged past them, taking out an entire chunk of the 'forest' around them. It was extremely unnerving to see that all it did was erase any evidence that there was even such an image to begin with. No explosions, no booms, just good old simple _nothing_. Pun could be intended, but Yukari wasn't focusing on that right now.

It was the fact that human-shaped, well, if that could even be called a human, _monsters_ were trailing after them, spears in hand and what not, acting perfectly to fit the role of demons as they chased after something.

Of course, anyone with a common sense would be able to tell what they were after, dead person or not.

"Why the heck are they behind us?!" Her voice was bordering on the high pitch side, showing just how she was completely unable to grasp the string of events that had occurred to her. No matter how you looked at it, it was just too weird to be true.

She was dead.

_DEAD._

Dead meaning not seeing stuff, not hearing stuff, not_ breathing_.

Musing that she wasn't technically breathing because she didn't think that hell had oxygen, but before she digressed, she focused on the fact that she was experiencing a lot of things that _shouldn't_ be possible for someone as dead as she was.

Utterly ridiculous.

Impossible.

Right?

"Wrong." Taking yet another sharp turn, Naruto gritted his teeth, "Should have known nothing goes right. Hell spawn eh? Alright…" In a flash, a second blond appeared next to them, fazing into existence as Naruto handed the woman in his arms to the copy, "Here."

"Wait, what? What is that?!" Expecting to simply fall because logic informed her that this doppelganger had seemingly just appeared out of nowhere, from _no _substance at all, meaning that if she were to be handed to a mere _shadow_, the most likely result would be for her to simply fall flat on her butt after falling through this endless abyss, if there was something for her to fall on that is.

Imagine her surprise when she felt the exact same flesh interacting with her skin as she was whisked away. Staring up at blond number two, or so she had dubbed the doppelganger, she was met with a grin, "Don't mind me. I don't really exist."

_Easy for you to say. You aren't the one that's getting all confused and all that._

"Since we now have some time, let's start the knowledge transfer."

"The what?" Her answer was given in the form of the Naruto holding her slowly melting into her body. The feeling was an unreal sensation, as though a warm watery substance was lathered all over her body, before seeping in, bit by bit, feeling her up, making her whole.

And all this time, her body had continued to travel at the same speed, despite the fact that no blond was holding her. Slowly, bits of the information regarding her death, what happened afterwards, and most importantly, memories of the blond, or should she say, _Naruto_, all combined together to help her gain a new understanding as to just what was happening.

This realm was supposed to be hers only because of imagination, a place linking to true and eventual death only to allow her a few moments of peace before her 'moving on'.

_Naruto came to save her. _

_Naruto was alive…_

_Naruto was _alive!

"Yes he is, you idiotic mortal."

"Huh?" Another being appeared beside her, arms crossed as her tails swirled around them both, enveloping their existence as a gap began to form in the area ahead, much like the one Naruto had ripped before he had plunged into this abyss.

"No way…"

The redhead vixen simply closed her eyes as she reached into her powers, and with a demonic roar, they were both engulfed in a pyre of flames and with that, they escaped Yukari's death realm.

Naruto, after sending out a mere after image of himself, holding it together using demonic energy and conveniently, he fused the knowledge of the events that led him to his current action into the afterimage. Using that and an extra burst of speed, he was able to 'convince' Yukari-san that the afterimage was still solid. He had been a bit worried about that particular execution, unsure if that would really work, but given the fact that he could no longer sense the presence of Yukari-san or Kyu-chan within this void, he assumed they were both safe now.

Eyeing the Hell Spawn on his tail in disgust, Naruto simply grunted, "Show's over." Halting, the blond raised a single hand as flames soared into his palm, "Oh yes…"

Even the monsters could feel the gathering of a huge source of energy and slowed down their pace, muttering to each other in a language incomprehensible to Naruto, but really, that didn't matter.

"You'en! _(Flames of the Sun)_" Surging white blazes swirled around each other to form a huge sphere vibrating with energy as Naruto held it within his hand.

The Hell spawns could only watch on in fear as they witnessed the power before them, causing them to shake on their spots as Naruto whispered, "Good morning, and good day."

A gigantic explosion erupted throughout the entire void, blasting anything that stood in its way as it crashed through the ranks, taking with it all the Hell spawns, sucking them in due to the cohesion of chakra and the attractive forces of the heat, drawing them close, burning them, destroying them.

Shrieks of pain weren't heard as their end came too quick, one by one they were eliminated, and the resulting detonation was all Naruto needed to rip a new space/time distortion and escape.

The Shinigami might not be too happy that its underlings were wiped out that easily, but then again, they were quite stupid ones, so Naruto was sure he wouldn't mind.

With a smirk on his face, he greeted a somewhat flustered Yukari-san and an amused Kyu-chan, "Yo."

The vixen simply chuckled, "You do realize that Shinigami-yaro ain't gonna be happy with that last stunt you pulled."

Shrugging, he mused, "Well, maybe he should understand that I'm not too happy with him either."

Kyuubi laughed, "My, my, aren't we the confident one?"

Naruto simply shook his head, before turning to Yukari-san, "I believe Kyu-cha has…?"

Yukari could only nod as she sorted through the information transferred to her mind. She was now technically a wandering soul, without a chance to 'move on', as they called it, free to do what she wanted and finally, free to 'live' again.

As Kyuubi had stated, there was only one problem, and that was the fact that she didn't have a body. Subconsciously, a thought entered her mind that even if she took up her original body, it wouldn't work considering how she had been mortally injured, and contrary to popular belief, when a soul re-enters said body, the injuries do not just magically disappear. A soul with a dead body would only lead to the rotting and eventual decomposition of the soul. And that was a fate quite worse than death.

Then again, without a body, she wasn't able to do anything. Without a physical link, she couldn't experience anything and therefore, 'living' wouldn't be of much use either.

"So, do you want to give it a go?" Kyuubi whispered as she placed her arms around her waist, "I believe it would be quite worthwhile to try considering how you and I would be one."

In order for her original body to 'heal', Kyuubi had offered to merge with her body, using the demonic powers of her soul to morph her human body into something more befitting of her status. That way, a body holding two souls would be possible, seeing how normally, a body would simply disintegrate, seeing how it wouldn't be able to contain two souls at once. The merging, so as to speak, wasn't a complete one, merely sharing each other's conscious, acting as one person on the outside, two on the inside.

Yukari took one look at Naruto, before smiling, "You know, I would never have expected that little boy to grow up into the man standing before me." Turning to Kyuubi who was leaning against her, she bowed slightly, "I thank you for being there for him as well."

The redhead chuckled, "Oh no need. I was quite infuriated with his presence every night, bothering me to teach him stuff."

"Oh? He does that to you too?"

"Indeed, he does. Hence the reason why I've decided to save myself the trouble and dump my knowledge on him in one go. One of the up sides of transferring chakra."

"Haha, I see."

Resisting the urge to blush, remembering the more naïve times of his childhood, Naruto scratched the back of his head, before deadpanning, "What's that got to do with anything?"

Yukari raised her hand and caressed Naruto's cheek, "You silly boy, I know everything now. How you felt for me, what you did for me, and just how big a price you paid to bring me back to life."

Naruto grimaced, before glaring at Kyu-chan in a reproachful manner, "You didn't have to tell her that."

It was then where both females stood in front of him, gazing into his eyes as they pulled him into an embrace.

This action surprised Naruto, but their words silenced whatever protest he was going to give.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you accepted me, embraced me, and loved me for who I am. For that, you gave up on any chance of entering Heaven." Kyu-chan whispered, her fingers tracing his whiskers, "You associate yourself with a demon like me, even offering your bare soul to me, choosing to trust me when others have doubted me. It's only you, and only ever be you, that I love."

"Diving in there to save me, you baka, Hell too closed their doors to you. Shinigami-sama would never allow you entrance after that stunt you pulled." Her eyes were smiling as she nuzzled his cheek, "To think you really did become my knight and protect me. I understand now, your thoughts, your actions, and how you had given up any chance of a normal life just to be with me. Kyuubi showed me everything."

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry. I was too… too naïve. I thought everything would be alright as long as you guys were with me, and that life would simply go on as it should."

He shook his head, "When you died, I didn't know what to do at all. I failed in my promise to protect you, and all that was on my mind was how to get you back, right here, by my side." Cerulean blue met amber as he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Yukari simply placed her head on his chest, seeing how he was now notably taller than she was, and replied, "It's okay. You're here for me now, and that's all that I need to know. You were but a boy then, blissfully ignorant of the horrors of this world, and I, who couldn't stand seeing anymore needless bloodshed, chose to use you as my sanctuary. You were my hope and light, that this world could still be changed. It's only you, and can only be you, Naruto, that I love."

Both females then took a step back, before linking their arms together, a fiery red engulfing their presence as Naruto smiled gratefully, "I'll learn, I'll get stronger and I'll avenge the unjust raised on the both of you. I will be your pillar of strength, just like you were my havens. I love you, and only _you_…"

"_Yes, __**only**__you, __**it's**__ only__** you**__ that __**I **__love._"

In a spiral of blazes, Yukari and Kyuubi both felt their essence leave their bodies, slowly revolving, gradually fusing with each other, before they fazed out of the realm.

There was no doubt where their combined essence were heading for, and Naruto, after one last look at the area around him, smiled and whispered, "Thank you for this gift… _father_…"

* * *

_**Well, I updated. Sorry if it took awhile, exams and all that. But yes, a few of you guessed correctly that Kyuubi and Yukari will merge, but how they do it and what will become of them has yet to be revealed. Naruto's sudden growth in power and knowledge coupled with Yukari's sudden return from death along with her complete understanding of everything will be explained in further detail next chapter. **_

_**I understand the tempo of the second half of the fic picked up too quickly and the flow might have been disturbed because of that, but don't worry too much, there's more to come anyway.  
**_

_**Any questions and queries can be directed to me through reviews. I thank you for your patience and look forward to seeing you guys again. **_

_**What is the result of the fusion?**_

_**What becomes of Naruto in the human world?**_

_**What is his fate now that heaven and hell both rejects him? **_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Lost Paradise. **_


	3. Start of a Journey

_**A/N: And we have the next chapter. Man, you guys really know how to demoralize someone, what's with the huge decrease in reviews?! Don't you know that a man needs to be motivated to do stuff? Geez, hit that button after reading! Rawr. **_

_**Oh yeah, other than that, I find it funny how people seem to have different views for the same thing. Namely, "This fic isn't going anywhere" and "I have no idea where this fic is going." **_

_**Those for "This fic isn't going anywhere" seems to think it's a bad thing, and the latter, a good thing. I kinda don't understand why a reader would WANT to know where a story's going after, what, two chapters? Doesn't it ruin like, the anticipation and stuff? I myself prefer to not know. Surprises are welcome. Then again, different readers, so I guess different opinions. But yeah, please stop telling me YOU don't know where this is going. As long as I do, it's all good. **_

_**Mini-rant over… I think. Nothing else I need to address…? Nah. Cbf.**_

_**Those who've kept with me, here's another one for your perusal. Those who are new? Welcome to the club, haha. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**_

_**Previously on Lost Paradise…**_

"_Uzumaki Naruto, you accepted me, embraced me, and loved me for who I am. For that, you gave up on any chance of entering Heaven." _

"_Diving in there to save me, you baka, Hell too closed their doors to you. Shinigami-sama would never allow you entrance after that stunt you pulled."_

"_Yes, __**only **__you, __**it's**__ only__** you**__ that __**I **__love." _

_In a spiral of blazes, Yukari and Kyuubi both felt their essence leave their bodies, slowly revolving, gradually fusing with each other, before they fazed out of the realm. _

_There was no doubt where their combined essence were heading for, and Naruto, after one last look at the area around him, smiled and whispered, "Thank you for this gift… father…"

* * *

_

Lost Paradise

Chapter 3: Start of a Journey

"_Kimi to boku no kokoro no tsunageteru no wa…" ~ "The thing that connects your heart to mine is…" – From Running On in Basquash!_

A mingling of essence, a combination of souls, a mixing of different races.

Never before had Naruto witnessed such a thing of beauty. The very theory of a demon merging with a human soul screamed one word, _pain_. Yet here they were, Yukari-san and Kyu-chan, gracefully pouring their energy into one another, and then together, into the body that used to belong to Yukari-san.

It was a sight to behold. Brilliance of colours and descriptive words did no justice as vixen and soul set aside their differences, choosing instead to focus on the one person both of them pledged the rest of their lives to.

_Naruto._

Cuts and wounds on the body disappeared, and slowly, it was engulfed if a blur of light, rising off the ground to meet its owners. Simple nods of understanding along with twin smiles were all it took before the merge was set on to its final stages.

Kyu-chan stretched out her palm, slowly clenching it into a fist before turning it upside down and re-opening, letting loose a stream of crimson, while Yukari-san did the exact opposite, showering the body with a cloud of violet. The catalysts were placed, and now all it took was for them to take the plunge.

In a vibrant dash of fireworks, the chakra and demonic energy involved clashed with one another, as though challenging each other to see who was superior in this realm of Nature, yet even as the two of them sunk their souls within the body, the snarling red turned to alluring scarlet, while violent purple changed to soothing violet, signifying complete agreement in the balance that was to be established between them both from now on.

Naruto held his breath as the aura around the body slowly faded, revealing a slim, feminine figure, pale skin enveloping her all the way to the head, where streaks of red and white hair flowed. Landing on her feet, her arms spread to the side, mimicking the descent of a celestial being, Naruto couldn't help but admire the sheer beauty and elegance she possessed. Supple flesh gathered around her chests, accentuating her attractive bosom, along with lithe muscles on her abdomen, before the soft tissue continued downwards to her hips, leading to gorgeous legs and a pair of lovely feet.

It was then, that she opened her eyes, scarlet and golden gazed at him steadily, lips slowly curving into a tempting smile, mouth widening to show rows of white teeth, tongue poking out to lick the edges of sultry lips. Raising her hand to touch said tongue, her fingers were nimble and slim, stylish and refined as she dragged a thin line of saliva down her bosom to her sacred region. No words were spoken, yet thousands of hints had been placed, and all it took was for someone to react before sparks began.

Naruto did not resist the temptation, and simply strode forward, grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her into his arms in a swift motion and crashed his lips onto hers, his hand cupping a breast fondly as the other reached for her inviting flesh. Moans of pleasure and lust filled the air and it wasn't until a few minutes later, when Naruto finally parted from the enthralling kiss, did he speak, "You're beautiful…"

Hissing slightly, the female once again searched for his lips and sucked on them, before continuing where they left off. Whispering, her light breath brushed over his skin, eliciting shivers down his spine, "The urge to mate is just _so_ strong, I can't wait…" Her left hand travelled south, exploring and finding the target, stroking and brushing against it as she murmured, "Now…?"

Barely finding it in him to resist, Naruto captured her lips one last time, earning himself another jolt of pleasure as she melted into his arms again. Letting her go, he turned her around, nipping her ear lobes as he whispered, sending shivers across her skin, "I'd love to… but are you both in agreement? Or is this just Kyu-chan wanting some fun?"

The scarlet eye on the right side glinted slightly, before the mouth turned into a pout, "Just because I was a vixen…" Golden shined this time, "Why do you assume I'm a quiet little girl?" The voice before had been slightly deeper and luxurious, potent and tempting, whereas the latter was more soothing and calm.

Naruto didn't speak, his hands continuing their previous activities, fingers finding the tip of her breast as they lightly squeezed, pulled and rolled. Gasps of pleasure left her mouth as she searched for his lips, wanting to taste him once again. The need and want was twice as much considering how there were two of them, and since there was only one body to experience, the pleasure was insatiable.

"Patience…"

Touching the small nub of nerves, he flicked it gently, swirling his finger around it, before pressing down, all the while, his teeth nibbled affectionately down her neck, ending with soft kisses on her shoulders.

"You… tease…" The female that had seemed so holy simply moments ago had one arm laced around his head, pulling him close to her, feeling his warmth and strength while she grinded her hips back into his, not wanting to be the only one on the receiving end of the game.

Not missing a beat, Naruto then probed lightly, parting the welcoming flesh as he entered, one, then two fingers. The rhythmic pulsing along with the warm heat prompted him to add yet another one, stroking her insides at a slow pace, gradually picking up pace.

Her breath quickened, every single pore in her body became sensitive to all the sensations that assaulted her brain from the overwhelming ecstasy. The lust that filled her to the brim was being lured out, slowly reaching the climax as she was loved, by the one that would soon become her mate.

"Open your eyes, and look at me." His soft words echoed in her mind, causing her to obey without question, basking in the glorious pleasure that she was being administered.

Then and there she came, muscles clenching down on those fingers, her voice high and loud as she screamed her release, streams of liquid dripping down her legs as she leaned back into him, enjoying the aftermath of a mind-blowing orgasm. However, she didn't seem to be fazed, and once again, met his lips, this time softly and slowly, unlike the urge and rush she had shown before.

Naruto turned her back around, eyebrow raised as he ventured, "Yukari-san?"

"Hm…" Light was then followed by sultry, "She insisted."

"Quite a handful, aren't you both?" Naruto mused, before smiling, "Are you sure, Kazumi?"

The female blinked, before closing her eyes and thinking for a bit, and then nodding, "Kazumi huh? I like it."

Kazumi, a name intended to portray her beauty in literature, showing off her pure elegance and grace, and yet at the same time, a playful and light-hearted name, symbolizing the harmonious nature of their combined personality.

"Glad to hear that."

Her eyes met his and with a firm nod, she continued, "Take me, love me, _mark_ me."

The blond responded in turn, sliding the length of him across her sex, tantalizing her, "Yes, my love."

Her moans and slight gasps were followed by occasional sighs as Naruto lay down on the ground, pulling her to him, feeling her straddle him as she lowered her entire self onto his shaft, slowly enveloping him bit by bit, all the way to the bottom, filling her up to the brim.

Stretching herself completely, with her legs spread wide by his sides, her torso bent forwards, until her breasts met his chest, "Never shall we part, we'll always be one, together…" Her lips placed a light kiss above his heart, before slowly rising, releasing him inch by inch, white energy surrounding her as she let him go temporarily.

Naruto closed his eyes, reaching for his chakra core, and acknowledging the pact that was made to his heart, he rose to meet her sitting up and placing a firm kiss at the spot just above the valley between her bosom, he pulled her down, her wet folds parting as he penetrated her, a moan escaping her lips as he kissed her, "Your heart to mine, connected forever, we shall never part."

Crimson chakra rose and blended with the white, and in the sphere of energy, Kazumi and Naruto sealed their pact with the most ancient form of bond, through the ways of procreation, they have proven their absolute love and care for one another, and Nature had recognized them officially as a couple and accepted them both with opening arms. Amidst the cries of ecstasy as they engaged in the love making session, the energy slowly seeped back within them, the wind rustling softly as the process was completed.

Naruto grunted and as Kazumi slammed herself down one final time, they were both sent into the state of bliss and nirvana, sweat glistening off their bodies as they hugged each other close, enjoying the shivers of pleasure that rushed across them.

"To think that it was only your first time… Incredible…" Kazumi breathed, her entire being lazy, liking how her body was draped across his so easily.

Naruto chuckled, "I'm good at exploring, is all."

Having finally left the realm of space as Yukari and Kyuubi merged, the energy created due to the process assaulted their senses in ways that were primal. Even as their souls entered the body, their love for Naruto was converted into the basic emotion known to a feral being, _lust_. The need to mate came from the temporary instability of their essences, and seeing how Kyuubi _came_ from Naruto's body, and Yukari had strong affections for Naruto, the link was established and Nature's instincts deemed it necessary that Kazumi, the new being that arose from the merge, mate with the one and only man for her.

Kazumi needed an attachment to this world, the newly morphed body with erratic feelings running everywhere had to settle down. Naruto was the only solution. Had they not committed to each other, and carried out the pact, Kazumi would have eventually exploded due to the energy within her, unable to be released.

By forming life-long pact with her mate, the process shaved off a huge bulk of that energy, and that final burst of ecstasy served as the release for the remaining chakra. Part of that chakra was returned to Nature, as a symbol of good will, thanking Her for accepting them. The rest was divided equally and split between them both, seeing how that energy was theirs to begin with.

Hearts beating as one, they were now truly mates. That specific pact was half demonic, half angelic, basically using knowledge from both realms, once again, intended for the balance that would be needed for the procedure to succeed.

Kazumi let out a breath, before sighing happily, "So far so good, I wasn't sure if it would work at the start." In a different voice, she spoke once again, "At least place some trust in me, geez."

Naruto laughed, "This is simply incredible. Yukari-san and Kyu-chan are really in there, voicing their thoughts when opinions differ."

Kazumi blinked, "Hm? What do you mean?"

Shaking his head in amusement, "And you two don't even realize it do you?"

"Ah…"

"Now that you tell me…"

The scarlet orb glowed, "Talk about two heads are better than one. We're the perfect example of that."

Golden followed, "True, true."

Naruto then sat up, eyebrows raised, "Oh, there we go, now I can tell who's who."

"Huh? What are you on…" Even as Kyu-chan spoke from within, where pale skin resided on the right arm, it was now replaced by a thin layer of red fur, soft and neat, stretching all the way to her palms, where the second difference would be noted, fingernails lengthening to mimic a claw.

Surprisingly enough, the transformation ended there, and the reason was made apparent when she spoke again, "Ah, the fur's just there to act as a defensive measure, I didn't really think of it as a way to tell the difference."

"Ah, Yukari-san retained her bracelet I see."

"Eh? Oh that, well, you were the one to give it to me after all." At that, a smile grew on Kazumi's face.

It was when Naruto was but five, ever since he learned to save money, he had placed all the allowance he had aside, not buying anything for all of two months, and without Yukari knowing, he had went to an ornament store and picked up this particular aqua bracelet with tiny white beads decorating it. He had said it would look pretty on her and hence he decided to buy it. Yukari had been moved by this act and told Naruto she would never let it go.

Naruto smiled as memories rushed through his mind, and as he stared at Kazumi once again, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Just how long are we going to stay naked?"

"Hm? Ah…" Said redhead stared at their still connected body and shrugged, "Well, I was kinda hoping for an encore."

Naruto sighed, before reaching up and flicking her nose, earning him a squeal, "We have to move. Surely someone would have detected the chakra surge by now." Gently lifting her, he formed a simple seal and within seconds, energy soared around them, writhing around their bodies, tracing their features and voila, they were fully dressed.

"Not too shabby, but the material could be more comfortable." Kazumi muttered as she squirmed around, trying to get used to the new clothing. Seeing how both of them contained the knowledge of demonic arts, especially those of the kitsune clan, illusions were too easy. Creating clothes from nothing was but the basics, and without even trying, Naruto could cast hundreds of the so-called 'genjutsu' with minimum effort.

The blond understood his status. He wasn't just a human anymore, yet he didn't belong to the demons' classification, and definitely not a half-demon, the rumoured 'hanyou'. Truth be told, those known as hanyou would be very rare, given how there were very little species that would even consider mating with humans. Not only would the energy fusion like the one Naruto and Kazumi underwent destroy a normal human's body structure, but the very lifestyles of demons and humans differed by far.

Jinchuuriki were just that, capsules. They 'host' a demon, and that was as far as the association with demons went. Humans' own prejudice led them to believe the foolishness that classified those Jinchuuriki as hanyou. Naruto however, was no longer a Jinchuuriki, for Kyu-chan was now residing in another body, not as a demon, but more as an archdemon, one of much higher status than any other of the same race.

The powers she now held were not only her own, but those of Naruto and Yukari combined. That led to mutations, or rather, progressions in strength and abilities, leading her to understand techniques outside of the Kitsune clan abilities, some that would prove vital if she were to carry out her goal of one day returning and showing what she could really do.

Yukari on the other hand, entered as a soul, but the thing was, that she had been a very pure soul. Despite her time on the battlefield, and how she assumed that she had committed sins that were beyond salvage, Shinigami-sama sure had a different view. As a shinobi, kills were often and usual. A god would not be as stupid to think that a woman who had taken a live for her job would be sinful to the extent where she had to be thrown into the Abyss. This woman had been praying, wanting only to see her loved one before she gladly accepted death as punishment. This in turn allowed Shinigami-sama to turn the case over to Kami-sama, and while that was being carried out, Naruto had rushed in to the rescue.

Be it a coincidence or not, Yukari was actually given the position of an archangel, just before Naruto broke her out of her own death realm. This in turn gave Yukari-san a holy setting, and that was the reason why their energies, red for Kyuubi, golden for her, clashed with each other during fusion. It was only after Naruto made love to her that both souls felt at peace and relaxed to set aside their drastic differences and undergo the merge whole-heartedly.

Yukari didn't know any of this, seeing how no one would inform her of such decisions, but given how the balance was so perfect, that was the conclusion Naruto had drawn. If Yukari had been but a wandering soul, the fusion process would have taken much longer, and without a doubt, Kyuubi had explained all this to the ex-kunoichi at this very moment. Kazumi had appeared to be pensive for moments, before a smile lit up her face, "Well, well, this is quite the predicament."

Indeed it was. Not only was Naruto an outcast for both Hell and Heaven, Kazumi, due to the actions committed by Kyuubi and Naruto, would also follow him on the same route. One just did not fool two gods and get away with it. The fact that there had been no demons or angels tracking them down to kill them was quite the surprise. Perhaps the gods were in a good mood.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Naruto sighed, "Where are we?"

Kazumi closed her eyes for a moment, before a reply was given, "Ten miles east of Hi no Kuni."

"I see, well, as much as I hate to disappoint the old man, I don't intend in returning to that place any time soon." His eyes narrowing he continued, "We'll be off to Kiri."

"So soon?" Tapping a finger against her lip, she shrugged, "Ah well, why not."

"So busy, Naruto-kun." The second voice sounded, and as that happened, the third change to Kazumi's body occurred.

Naruto could only watch in slight surprise as the white streaks of hair present within the forest of red overlapped the crimson. Now, the left side of the head showed a sheath of snow-white strands, contrasting against the scarlet on the right.

"Could it be, that the body isn't used to having two souls individually doing stuff, and decides to accommodate for the change?" Naruto mumbled, finding it incredible that even after so long, the fusion was continuing.

"Of course. The process would continue for at least three days before it can be concluded. Don't be surprised if we look completely different, after all, what we were just now was a new born." Kazumi winked, before stretching her arms and yawning, "But man, are we tired."

Naruto lifted his arm and laced it around her shoulder, pulling her close, feeling the warm breath of hers against his chest, "Then rest."

Kazumi gave a small sound of approval, before closing her eyes, "So considerate, hm?"

Naruto simply held her as he stood, staring up into the sky, wondering what would become of them. Roaming this place without a plan would be foolish. His power was given to him for a reason, he was entrusted by his father to accomplish great things that his father had no chance to achieve. Naruto himself, wanted to see an end to the tragedies similar to his.

The simple fact was that Jinchuuriki were under constant prejudice and scrutiny of common citizens, as though they weren't similar human beings just like everyone else. Being treated like a demon, killed or beaten for no reason at all, shaped into weapons, all of these were common scenarios in the other countries. Naruto had been fortunate enough to have been in Konoha, for there were after all, more open-minded people than certain 'idealistic' individuals.

He had heard Yukari's thoughts, and he agreed. The paradise that used to be in this world had long since been gone. Back in the days where people could live peacefully, where might did not make right, and everyone had an equal say to how their life should be. But because of the existence of different countries, different shinobi and different leaders, things began to change. Circumstances arose, economies deteriorated, hatred brew. Then rose the rich, who thought they could buy their way through everything, and even till this day, several of them hold major positions within the countries.

To fight against such powerful individuals, clans were formed. Classic example where people try to fight quality with quantity. Old minds with old ways of thinking, an unwillingness to admit their wrongs, not wanting to accept the changes that came with time, choosing instead to stick with their frail, ancient lifestyles, leading more and more people to ruin. Of course, there were some that survived with cunningness and at times, sheer brilliance, yet this did not always happen.

Hence they needed a backup. Soon, they decided to form clans for people with unique characteristics, similar powers, and related skills. This, in the Shinobi world, soon grew common and before long, bloodline limits occurred. What was simple mutation of genes given their constant interaction with different chakra types grew under the conditions of natural selection, where survival of the fittest came into play. Human beings worked the same as any other beast, because they too, were a part of the cycle of life, and at the end of the day, a human lived to survive.

Because of these bloodline limits, people were given an advantage, and because of that advantage, they held a higher social standing compared to normal people.

Ever since Naruto was young, he understood the most basic concept about human beings. There were two types of them.

Good and bad. It was as simple as that, and even with all this knowledge within his mind, he agreed with his first discovery. Everything came down to this; the only thing that could change would be a person's perception of those terms.

And it was exactly this 'perception' that led to the tragedy within Kiri. His father's memories and Kyuubi's information had given him much insight to one particular event that no other country had tried to stop.

The purge of bloodlines.

Because bloodlines were mutations, it meant that those with advantages were clearly less than those without, and those without usually reacted to this situation in two ways. They either accepted them, or they hated them. Those with bloodlines were direct threats to their survival, and because of this primal instinct, prejudice grew, and for countries like Mizu, it was a sad sight.

Terrorized under the Mizukage's rule, the people had long since grown to understand the meaning of 'follow orders'. The Mizukage despised people better than him, and because of that, he ordered all those with bloodlines to be killed on sight. Anyone that dared side with them would be killed too. No exceptions. The people understood this well enough after several public executions of their kin were held. No one dared to stand up to the Mizukage.

Be it cities, or tiny villages, there was nowhere for them to hide. To think one would be killed on sight simply because of a gene alteration that they had no control over, it was the exact kind of thing Naruto despised.

True, there were those who abused their bloodlines, and for them to be killed, it was doing the world a favour. But what about those who had no desire for violence? Bloodline limits exist over a huge variety, none of the abilities were born to mark the user as good or bad. However, the humans in Mizu no Kuni were mere sheep, following the tide because of their weakness, vulnerability and utter lack of confidence. They were used to be ruled by fear, and would continue for as long as it happened.

Hence, over the years, sadists within Kiri grew, ones who thrilled in kills, engorged in the sprays of blood, lived for the screams of pain. They were taught that way after all. There was no room for mercy in this world, to show any would be leading to one's own demise.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he gazed up at the sky once again, "Definitely, Kiri first."

Kazumi opened her left eye, revealing her golden pupil, before smiling, "Such a righteous person."

"Not really. I just don't want to see more people end up like I do." His voice was firm and his expression serious, and Kazumi couldn't help but shake her head.

"Don't you feel weird? Having to make all these decisions even though you were but a six year old a day ago?"

In answer to her question, Naruto had kissed her deeply, before grinning, "Is that something a six year old would do?"

The scarlet eye opened this time, "I seem to clearly remember a certain _someone_ doing that exact thing to me when he was six."

What had been a tense atmosphere changed instantly to a playful one, "I was pretty sure I didn't use tongue back then, you were this giant fox, remember?"

The golden orb dimmed slightly, "You kissed him when he was _six_? Such a pedophile…"

"Hey! It wasn't like that!" Arguing with herself, Kyu-chan growled, "This brat here started it!"

"I should've done that then, and to think I missed my chance all this while, mu mu…"

"…Who's the pedophile here…?"

Naruto fought the urge to sweatdrop and mentally told himself that this would indeed need some getting used to. Sighing to himself, he snapped his fingers to get Kazumi's attention, "Come now, they're getting close. We need to get out of here."

Kazumi pouted, "We can take 'em!"

"…" Naruto stared at her incredulously, "What for?"

"Well, don't you wanna see how awesome your new powers are?" Blinking like an innocent angel, the female assumed the purest expression she could muster, which was surprisingly good.

Fighting off the twitch that developed above his eyebrow, Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose, "No, I do not. I'll test them when I need to."

Kazumi flicked out her tongue, brushing her long hair off her shoulder, "Alright, alright, let those noobs live for now."

"… Kazumi, did I just hear the word 'noob'?"

"Um hm." A cheerful nod came his way too.

"What the heck does that even mean?"

"Mo, Naruto, and here we thought you had all those information in your brain."

"No, I don't think that has anything do with the word 'noob'. Besides, I'm pretty sure that vocab did not appear in the thousand year memory vault that I inherited from you." This time, a massive drop of sweat did appear, though from where, he did not know, nor did he want to know.

"You see, noob is the word we use when people are too useless, stupid, worthless, idiotic, pathetic, weak, retarded, and many more to come. Be grateful that we can't be bothered finishing the list." Her dreamy expression as she tapped her lip did not fit her comment just then.

Naruto added one last question, "So… where did you get that word?"

"Hm, we made it up. Isn't it obvious?"

"…" Shaking his head in disbelief, he took off, vanishing from the area without any trace of chakra.

Kazumi blinked again, "Ara, ara?" Tapping into their link, she too dashed after her mate, "Mu! Why did you leave us behind?"

With a flaming cloak billowing behind him, dressed in a plain white combat suit, with orange stripes across his torso, Naruto rolled his eyes, "Do you have to ask?"

Similarly, with a smooth black cape tracing down to as low as the soles of her feet, wearing a no-sleeve jacket, Kazumi grumbled, "Mu, you're so mean."

"What is it with you acting like a five year old?"

"Mu? I'm a new born, remember? Be happy I don't go 'goo-goo-a-ga-ga' on you."

Not knowing how to react to that, Naruto chose to remain silent as the surroundings rushed past them. Leaving behind no chakra source, the blond was confident that Sarutobi-jiji wouldn't be able to find them. He would return their one day, but now was not the time, not when there was so much left to be done outside in the world.

Oh yes, the world would soon realize his existence, whether they liked it or not.

* * *

_**In a small village off the sides of Mizu no Kuni…**_

"O-ka-san! Look! I can make ice float! Hora!" A young girl laughed happily as she scooped up some snow off the ground and holding it in her palms, she pushed it into the air, and with some unseen force, was able to maintain its position. Grinning at her mother cheekily, she squealed yet again, "Isn't that cool?"

Beside her, dropping the basket of herbs she had been holding, Fuyuki Aoi slapped a hand over her mouth in horror, knowing that her worst fear had come true. Without hesitation, she cried out, "No! You can't do that! Forget about it!" Swatting the snow her daughter created onto the ground, she firmly grasped her by the shoulders, "Why? Why must this happen to you?!"

"O-ka-san? O-ka-san?" The girl shivered at the fearful expression on her mother's face, and couldn't help but whisper, "But, but aren't you happy? I thought that seeing me do this would make you happy…"

"No! I'm sad, _very_ sad that you did that. _Never_ do that in front of anyone, am I clear?" Her voice was shaking, her pupils contracting as many thoughts assaulted her mind. The only good thing she knew was that no one had been around to witness this. As long as her daughter didn't do it again, they would be safe. Yes, they… they would be safe…

"O-ka-san? The girl stared at her worriedly, "I'm sorry. Really sorry! I won't ever do that again! So please, don't…"

"Oh, my poor child, I'm sorry, so sorry…" Tears drifted down her cheeks as she held her child close.

It was a tragic tale. She had been the last of her clan, Fuyuki, said to be able to summon a storm of hail in the blink of an eye, raging havoc upon enemies in an instant, but because the Mizukage gave the order for all those with bloodlines to be executed without question, their clan had been taken by complete surprise. Half of them were killed in their sleep, while the others were sent on suicide missions and taken care of. She had been part of the ones that successfully escaped, but before she knew it, the rest were all dead, giving up their lives so that both daughter and mother could get out of this alive.

She chose to stay on the close outskirts of the country, choosing to trust the old saying, "The safest place is usually the most dangerous place." And that had been her only hope. She had seduced a seemingly honest man in this little village a year ago, and convinced him to marry her, even though she had a child. The man had been a gentleman, not asking any questions as to where she was from, treating her like a real husband would, and basically, tending to her every need.

Aoi was eternally grateful for the man, and couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for letting the man believe she truly loved him. But she had no choice, in this cruel world, this was the only way she would survive. She would do anything to ensure her child lived on…

The only thing that prevented her from using her powers would be the hunter-nins that prowled the country sides on a regular basis. In an all out fight, she had no idea if she could win, not when her child would be left defenseless by the sides. Embracing her child while sobbing, she pulled her as close to her as possible, "I'm sorry…"

"There! They're over there!"

That shout alone was enough to bring her out of her reverie. Standing up in an instant, her eyes locked onto the source of the voice. There, pointing at the both of them, was the man she had seduced, with an evil smirk on his face, plus a huge bag of gold in his hands, "Don't let them escape."

Gritting her teeth in anger, "You…"

"Yes, me. I knew something was wrong when you came to me. I'll admit you were a good lay, but sorry babe, that's all you meant to me." As more villagers appeared behind him, each with their own weapons, "But don't feel sad, I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual."

Twenty-nine year old Fuyuki Aoi lashed out in anger, eyes glowing aqua as she called forth her chakra, "You'll regret this." The little girl, seemingly cowed by her mother's anger, quickly hid behind her, not wanting her mother to be like this.

"Mama…"

The man didn't seem scared at all, on the other hand, he looked positively cheeky, "Ha! Stupid mutants. Get that worthless bloodline out of here!"

"Wha… Urgh…" As quickly as the powers rose, Aoi fell to the ground, vision wavering before her, "How…"

"Do you think I would be so stupid as to not know who you are? Fuyuki Aoi, last of the Fuyuki clan!" His sneer increased as Aoi's breath became slightly more erratic.

"What's the matter, oh snow-lady? Can't take the heat?"

"What did you… do to me…" A completely illogical emotion began to well up in her heart, her skin becoming sensitive to every tiny touch, and as a barely suppressed moan left her lips, she knew what it was.

"Oh nothing much, just some aphrodisiac. Isn't it just ironic that they were made from the herbs you sell, haha!" A downright lustful expression appeared on his face, "The depressant seems to be working well too, everything is going according to plan."

The heat surged throughout her body, forcing her to undergo sensations that were completely unnatural in this situation, making her extremely vulnerable. The fact that she couldn't even feel her chakra, much less focus on her surroundings, made it all the worse.

"Now, it's about time I shared the fun, don't you agree guys? She's an exceptionally good lay, if I do say so myself." His disgusting words were agreed with by a cheer of lowly sneers and revolting cat-calls.

"O-ka-san? What's wrong, mama? Don't scare me like that…"

"Run… get out of here…" Unable to form a speech properly, she soon found herself grasped by the hair and dragged away from her daughter, leading her towards a group of repulsive villagers that were already readying themselves for the 'feast' that was to come.

"What are you doing to o-ka-san?! Get away from her! Or, or I"ll…" With her small shaking hands, she scooped up some snow, "I'll, I'll beat you up!"

"Hahahahaha! Look at that, would you look at that! The girl thinks she is so powerful that she can just take us on, why don't we teach her a lesson?"

"No, my… my daughter…" Aoi simply couldn't help it. The feelings were too much, and it was well known that Fuyuki clan members were weakened by heat. Such an underhanded move, she had never expected mere civilians to use such methods, and that was where she had lost. Underestimation was never a good thing.

"Now, why don't you put on a show for your daughter, hm? I'm sure she will learn well after we're done with you." Hands groping all over her, nauseating tongues dragged along her skin, fingers fighting to rip the clothing off her, and yet all she could feel was a pleasure that didn't belong to her.

Unable to respond with anything but shivers and groans, Aoi relented herself to her fate. This wasn't the first time a woman was raped and killed, and the possibility that it would occur to her had been in her mind, but the way that it was carried out was certainly different…

"O-ka-san!!!"

_I'm so sorry…_

The area was suddenly engulfed by a strong wind, forcing the assailants away from a delirious Aoi, and before long, the air was filled with screams of pain way louder than those hesitant moans of hers.

No longer was she a captive in those sickening bonds, but rather, in a pair of strong arms that held her close, a warmth that should have been repelling to her that felt ever so alluring.

Before she knew it, a kiss was placed on her lips and just like that, she lost conscious. The silent command of 'rest' echoed through her mind, and rest she did.

Nearby, the villager that had been holding the young lady shivered in fear, "Wh-who are you!? What is the meaning of this…?!"

Shrieks of pain left his mouth as five claw-like scars appeared on his face, forcing him to let go of the little girl who had been struggling non-stop since her mother was caught.

"Such vile humans, they didn't hurt you, did they girl?" A soft voice whispered from behind her, causing her to look down at the new set of arms that held her, especially the soft red fur on the right arm.

"Huh…? Oh!" Tilting her head upwards, she came face to face with a smirking lady. Subconsciously, she reached up and tentatively touched her hair, "So pretty…"

Laughing, the lady nuzzled her hair in return, "Oh, you're sooo cute!"

"Cute?" The expression on her face would soon be deemed the most kawaii look to ever grace this world by a certain feminine individual.

"Kyaaaaa!" Hugging her even more tightly than before, she cooed, "Definitely have to keep you. Awww, you're just such a darling!"

"Hm? Ah! O-ka-san! Are re…? Why is that man holding her?" Tilting her head in confusion, she turned to the friendly lady again, "His hair is pretty too."

"I know, right?" Ruffling her hair, "But don't worry, it'll be okay now. Watch as that man takes care of the bad guys!"

"Oh, ok." And with that said, the little girl, simply said back, leaning against the lady who showed such enthusiasm in hugging her as much as she could.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Hm? Name?"

"Yeah, I'm Kazumi, what's yours?"

"Ah, nice to meet you Kazumi-san. I am Haku, Fuyuki Haku desu!"

That was the day where they met, two females of the Fuyuki clan who would later on play an important role in Naruto's mission.

Aoi and Haku.

* * *

_**Ok, hopefully the beginning lemon didn't put you off, seeing how it was a bit sudden, but understand that I explained why it happened, why it had to happen and what it was for. **_

_**The part with Haku and Aoi, I was thinking that if Haku had this killer ice ability, why did her mother just let herself be killed? That's pretty stupid, even if you say she loved her husband. **_

_**Other than that, there's not much to add. Please review and tell me your thoughts. **_

_**What is Naruto's motive for heading to Kiri?**_

_**What will happen to Aoi and Haku?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Lost Paradise.**_


	4. Kaguya Kimimaro

_**A/N: Man, I've really become lazy in writing. It's not that I'm out of ideas, but more I like cbf getting them down. I know it happens to authors at times, but really, what is this? It's way worse than writer's block. You guys try having ten thousand ideas bombard you and you not bothering to write it down, it just builds and builds and… **_

_**Nah, let's leave it there. Anyways, Uni got boring, had tests, and on top of that, had a diploma piano exam. Stressed out to the damn max. DX Just do me a favour and don't ask why it took so long to update. **_

_**Regarding the content, yes, it's going to be way more than just stopping in Kiri. In the summary, I said Naruto would be having a journey, and a journey it shall be. No jokes, meaning he'll be all over the place by the end of this fic, which will be like, ages later. **_

_**So just sit back, relax, and enjoy.**_

_**The other thing is pairing. I really, REALLY, want to keep this just as NaruFemKyuu, but man, this habit of mine isn't good. I automatically create opportunities and add more females, which is quite frustrating. I just can't seem to settle down on ONE single pairing… . **_

_**We'll see how it goes for that, so yeah, if it ends up being a harem again, don't be surprised. BUT! That does not mean fifty women would be added like my Bleach one, even if it IS a harem, it'll be mild… five to ten maybe? Dunnoe. Erhem, so yeah, pray that I don't let my imagination run wild and end up adding loads of women. **_

_**Other than that, you can start reading. ^_^ **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**_

_**Previously on Lost Paradise... **_

"_What are you doing to o-ka-san?! Get away from her! Or, or I"ll…" With her small shaking hands, she scooped up some snow, "I'll, I'll beat you up!" _

"_No, my… my daughter…"_

_Before she knew it, a kiss was placed on her lips and just like that, she lost conscious. The silent command of 'rest' echoed through her mind, and rest she did. _

"_Ah, nice to meet you Kazumi-san. I am Haku, Fuyuki Haku desu!"_

_That was the day where they met, two females of the Fuyuki clan who would later on play an important role in Naruto's mission. _

_Aoi and Haku.

* * *

_

Lost Paradise

Chapter 4: Kaguya Kimimaro

"_Tobazu no tori ga jiyuu wo utau hi ni…" ~ "On the day a flightless bird sings for freedom…" – From Blue Sky, True Sky in Tears to Tiara_

Disgusting, appalling, revolting.

There were no other words to describe it. Those hands, they drifted all over her, ready to consume her, defile her, taint her, and yet all she could do was writhe in a pleasure that did not belong to her.

Haku, where was she? What did they do to her?

Someone had come and removed them from her, keeping her safe within his presence, his arms around her, so warm and comfortable. Never before had she found this heat so soothing, when the very element of fire would have irritated her to no end.

His lips soft and his kiss deep, it felt calming, her hectic thoughts slowed down and gradually, she became relaxed. The last thing she remembered was this glorious crimson, rising as it scorched the air around them, and yet all she could feel was the flames dancing around her, protecting her from harm.

Eyelids flickered as she awoke from her slumber, her pupils adjusting to the darkness of the room. Her body was aching slightly, but that was to be expected after being given aphrodisiac poison, it was just a sign of chakra burning off the residues of the chemical. Nevertheless, her whole body still trembled from the slightest abrasion against her folds, the hidden muscles pulsing rhythmically, a result caused by the aphrodisiac.

It was akin to torture, for she couldn't move lest she triggered an orgasm that would in turn, lead to a _need_ for sexual contact, and that was something she was trying to avoid at all costs seeing how she didn't even know if her daughter was safe.

Just then, the door to her room creaked open, and light flashed into the room, showing a smiling blond, "Ah, you're awake." In his hands was a tray filled with food, along with a large jug of water, which he placed on the desk nearby, "Eat while it's still hot, and make sure to drink lots of water."

His electric blue eyes gazed at her, noticing her obvious discomfort, and judging from her quivering lip and the hesitation to move, he sighed, "Ah, that hasn't passed, has it?"

Numb to the situation at hand, it was all Aoi could do to nod. She recognized this man as the one who saved her from those thugs, and for that she was grateful, however, this was a very bad time to express how 'grateful' she was, seeing how she couldn't really do anything without moaning. The urge to delve in that pleasure was almost unbearable, and it was taking all her willpower to not embarrass herself in front of her savior.

Shaking his head, "I figured this would happen. Here, let me give you a hand." Taking a few strides, he was by her side, embracing her as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and searching for her lips even as his free hand probed at her sex.

Eyes widening, she was about to resist, when his fingers had already plunged into her, stroking her gently, before picking up pace, his thumb rubbing on her nub even as he went deeper. Her moans reverberated in his mouth, his tongue lacing with hers as he kissed her, using the hand that was around her to fondle with her breasts.

In but a minute, she came. Hard.

That was Naruto's signal. Flaring his chakra and forcing them directly out of his tenketsu and into her body, the result was an amplification of sensation Aoi was feeling, and needless to say, it was as much of an unbearable agony as it was a holy nirvana. Her head flung backwards wildly even as her hips bucked against his fingers, wanting it to stop but _never_ wanting it to stop at the same time.

Finally, it was over, and even as her ragged breathing echoed off the walls, she could tell that the chemical had been flushed out. Blushing, she could only watch as the blond removed his fingers from her, dripping wet with fluid.

Naruto gave them a quick lick, before concluding, "Nope, all gone." And with that, his hands reached for her once again, surprising her as he carried her bridal style, "Kazumi!"

Still slightly dazed from the aftermath, the Fubuki simply leaned on his chest, letting him do as he pleased. It wasn't long before she found herself in a warm bath, with the blond lightly scrubbing her body with a cloth, leaving no place untouched.

Sighing subconsciously, she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment, simply relishing in the comfort of the actions she was subjected to. It had been a long time since she could just relax and let go like that; for a whole year, she had been anxious, desperate and frantic, hoping against hope that they would be able to live peacefully, away from the bloodline purge.

That had obviously ended in failure, and if it weren't for this man…

Blinking, she took in her surroundings once again, before realizing that Haku and another woman was in the bath with them as well. In fact, the bath was several times larger than it should be.

"Okasan!" That was the cue for her loveable daughter to latch on to her, purring even as she nuzzled her precious mother on the cheek, "You're alright!"

"Haku-chan!" Her mind focusing instantly, she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, "My Haku, my Haku…"

"What's wrong Oka-san? I'm okay! Ne-chan and Ni-chan saved us, so I'm fine!" A wide smile followed her naïve statement, and Aoi couldn't help but hold her tighter, the anxiety within her slowly fading away as she kissed her daughter on the forehead, relishing in the fact that they were both safe for now.

Naruto chuckled, "Looks like things are finally looking upwards for you." Sweeping his fingers through her hair, he washed them thoroughly as he spoke, "They won't bother you anymore."

Her eyes widened at his whisper and she turned her head slightly, indigo meeting cerulean, "W-who are you, really? Why did you save us?"

That had been the question on her mind ever since she woke up, and yet, she doubted that this man was going to use her for some selfish reason. The whole aura that he exuded was kind, and to be honest, there simply was no reason to save her, and then throw her into a worse 'hell' than the one she had been living.

Haku giggled, "That's Naruto-sama!"

Aoi blinked, before turning back to her daughter, "Huh?"

"Naruto-sama and Kazumi-sama saved us!" Waving her arms around for emphasis, she pointed at both the blond and the redhead, "They're awesome!"

Chuckling, Kazumi made her way over to the trio, "That I am." With a wink at the blond, she began to ruffle Haku's hair affectionately.

Naruto sighed, "I thought I told you to stop it with the 'sama' stuff, Haku-chan."

Smiling, she replied cheerfully, "Kazumi-sama insisted!"

Rolling his eyes, he turned to 'glare' at his mate, only to find her sticking her tongue out playfully, before pulling Haku close to her face, "But she's just _adorable_ when she does that! Go on, say it again."

"Naruto-sama~!"

"…" Staring at the naïve and downright cute expression, Naruto had to give in.

Throughout all this, Aoi had simply watched on while she took in her surroundings. Now that her mind was clear, questions began to bombard her once again. Rising up from the water, she took a deep breath, before kneeling and bowing, "Thank you, for saving us, Naruto-sama."

The blond raised an eyebrow, "Oh come on, not you too."

"No, I'm being completely serious." Looking up, she continued, "You have protected both me and Haku from a fate far worse than death, for that I am very grateful."

Kazumi was the one to get her up, "Now, now, no need to be so formal, we were just passing by really."

"Even so, you've done far more than I could have. I do not know who you are, but your powers are for certain." Spreading her left arm out, she indicated the increase in size of the household, "I can see for myself that you are in a completely different league, so I understand if you wish for me to keep this a secret."

"Meh, I was bored." The redhead chuckled, her golden eye glowing, "The hot springs was quite a nice idea."

Aoi's eyes widened, "What…?"

"Fubuki-san."

Spinning around to face the blond, her eyes traced his masculine figure as he stood before her. Naruto gazed at her face, his fingers trailing her cheek, "It's okay. I know what you want to say."

Aoi trembled slightly, the fact that this man had treated her in the most intimate of ways but mere moments ago, and had brought her to the brink of shuddering ecstasy with ease made her almost melt into his touch. She was afraid, for this vulnerability was definitely not needed at this moment.

She was a Kunoichi, and despite the fact that they were both naked, she felt no need for shame, seeing how he had pretty much seen her entire body. As for him, she did feel the stirrings of lust but kept it under control as more important matters were at hand.

Naruto shook his head, "There is no need to leave so soon." He grinned, "You owe me nothing, I was merely getting rid of pests that do not belong in this place."

Aoi stared at him in disbelief, "But – "

"Ah, ah, let me finish. Our identities are quite complicated and it would be pretty hard to explain it all, but you can be rest assured that we will not bother you any longer than need be."

Kazumi pouted, "Aw, but I wanna play with Haku-chan some more!"

"Wai! Kazumi-sama banzai!"

Choosing to ignore that, Naruto moved on, "Rest for now. You have my word that none of the Hunter-nins would endanger you."

Embracing her, he whispered, "Just let go."

It was sudden, it was short and swift, but it did the job. One would never have expected a compromise to be made just like that, especially with Aoi being completely left in the dark as to what had happened and why it had happened. However, the fact remained that Aoi was tired, extremely so.

Constantly worrying, constantly on the lookout for danger, it was mentally and physically exhausting and for some reason, after the recent event, the thought to simply let it all pass was etched firmly into her mind.

There were times when a person tried hard, harder than he could, for one goal that he really wanted to achieve, and yet no matter how many times he went for it, he would miss the mark. It was frustrating, downright annoying, but in the end, he couldn't do it. He was given a choice, give up, or persevere?

Neither. He simply took a break, went to do something else, _then_ he tried again. At times, continuously attacking a problem would bring you no closer to solving it, and after years of fear for their lives, it was time to really just let go, like the blond had said. Enough was enough.

The warmth Naruto-sama gave off as he hugged her was soothing, just as his words were calming. That feeling of security returned once again, and for the first time after her family's massacre, she felt that she was at somewhere she belonged.

So what if Hunter-nins came?

She would simply take them down herself.

This was the last straw. She would fight, she would use her skills as a proud Fubuki. It was time to stop running like a coward.

It was there, where she too, placed her arms around the man, and sobbed silently into his chest, before muttering a soft, "Thank you" as she slumped against him once again.

Naruto lightly lifted Aoi out of the water, and slowly dried her body with a towel. He could tell that she was slightly delirious at this point, which was to be expected seeing how this was one of the side-effects the body suffered after being administered to a deadly poison.

"Kazumi, I'll leave Haku to you." After cleansing Aoi, Naruto carried her bridal style and began making his way back to her room, wanting to ensure that the female wouldn't suffer from any other withdrawal symptoms.

The redhead chuckled, before turning to the little girl who was happily splashing around, "Alright Haku-chan, you heard him. It's bed time!"

"Aww, but Kazumi-sama, the water feels so nice!" Her eyes were wide with anticipation, her lips pouting as she waved her arms around, trying to emphasize her point.

Smiling, she ruffled Haku's hair, "It's okay, you can enjoy it every day now." Eyes softening as she hugged the girl close to her, she whispered, "But you must be very tired after all that, and you need rest. So come."

"B-but I-I'm n-not slee-eepy…" Stretching her arms backward for a yawn, the adorable girl mumbled even as she slumped into Kazumi's arms, her last bit of 'defiance' ending easily as the redhead placed her onto the futon, along with a mild layer of fire elemental chakra to keep her warm.

"Sleep well little one."

"Hm, night…" And like that, Haku drifted off into her dreams, with Kazumi staying by her side, occasionally stroking her hair as she watched on.

The danger wasn't completely over for the two of them, but for now, they could sleep peacefully without worrying of any hunter-nins spotting them and coming for their heads. Kazumi understood precisely why Naruto wanted to start from Kiri. The little girl before her was only one of the many whose lives had been disrupted by the bloodline purge. It was lucky that little Haku did not realize what having a special ability in this place meant, for it might have caused her more misery than joy.

Aoi must have been real tired, considering how hunter-nins were renowned as the most honorable shinobis. In fact, those from Kiri were extremely notorious for their slimy, underhanded methods in tracking down and eliminating 'traitors'. Anything from seduction to bribery, false commands and fake pretences, nothing was considered to vile when it came to dealing with those who possessed bloodlines.

Freaks, they called them, so sadistic in nature that even the Shinobi themselves abhorred them. It was no wonder Aoi had been so paranoid. And that led her to the next thought.

Things were about to get interesting around here, for she knew the true reason why Naruto had chose to stop around here. It was mere coincidence that they interfered with the two Fubuki.

It wouldn't be long before disaster struck them. All they could do was bide their time. Smiling, she stroked little Haku gently, continuing to admire the adorable expression on the sleeping child, humming a merry tune all the while.

She would really have liked to keep her, if she could, but in reality, she doubted that Aoi would follow them on their cause. The woman felt a tad bit too insecure for her tastes, but then again, given their situation, she supposed it couldn't be helped.

Her ears perking up slightly, she gave a slight frown, before sighing. It would seem that things were starting to heat up again. Oh well, she'll just have to come back and tease the girl for drooling in her sleep.

It was time to work now after all.

* * *

_**Elsewhere…**_

"Hey you! Get your ass out here." A rough hand reached over to the cage and ripped open the door, before throwing it away without a second thought, "It's time to work."

A pale-skinned boy with long braided white hair quietly stepped out of his 'home', before staring up at the man, "You need me this time?"

The guy gave a snort, "Yeah right, as if we Kaguya need anyone. The leader just thought that a kid like you might want a piece of those assholes."

"I don't think I understand."

"Hmph, you don't need to. Just go out, do as we do, and after that, you can just go sleep or something."

Shaking his head, "I see, it's killing someone again."

At that, the man gave a feral grin, "Yes, a _lot_ of someones."

"I see."

"Now move it brat, I've got better things to do." Pushing him aside, the man strutted out of the cave, "And remember, kill them _all_."

Wordlessly, he followed. It was like this all the time after all. He was simply an outcast, a kid born with a fatal flaw. Being completely unlike a true Kaguya in terms of looks, he was looked down upon given his seemingly frail frame. The fact that he couldn't breathe properly at random bursts made them alienate him even more.

To the outside world, they were simply a group of freaks wielding a strange but powerful bloodline. They were monsters with a bloodlust incomprehensible to others, choosing to satisfy their thirst for violence above all else. It didn't matter if they died in a fight, even if the odds were utterly ridiculous against them, there was only one thing that they cared about, and that was to kill, maim and slaughter as much as they could before they went down.

Out of all the clans in Kiri that held bloodlines, they were possibly the most feared of them all, simply because people fighting without respect for their lives were tough and dangerous opponents. In the end, the hunter-nins prefer to live instead of death, and because of this, they refuse to lower themselves to the levels of savages and fight as such.

Today would be just the same, where all of them would go and trash a village or two, killing any Kiri-nin they came across while pilfering all the supplies they had. It was the same routine over and over, his presence would not affect the outcome at all. He was just a weakling amongst them, not bothering to take notice of him, being already deemed the most useless of them all.

He had long since forgotten who his parents were, seeing how they had simply tossed him aside given his weaknesses. They might be already dead for all he knew, but it wasn't like he cared at this point.

No, nothing mattered to him.

Coughing, he stared up at the bright blue sky, his hand raised to shield his eyes from the light, wincing as he felt uncomfortable after being kept in the dark for so long. Before him stood the mass of Kaguya, all ready and set to go. Silently, he went to them.

It was all he could do, for there was no other purpose in his life. At least this way, he could pretend that he was needed, that his presence wasn't so insignificant as to no one would even care about him.

There was no excitement in killing, only the never ending sorrow that came with it, not because he cared about the people he killed, but rather, the fact that once the killing ended, he would once again be locked up in one of those cages and isolated, leaving him alone.

He didn't understand why, but he just didn't want to be alone. So he would always think things over whenever he was back in the cage. And each time he wouldn't find the answer, and he would hope that the next time he went out, perhaps, he would reach a conclusion.

This time was no different.

"What are you slugging around for damn it! We ain't got all day!"

_Please, let me have a purpose in this life. I don't want to be alone anymore.

* * *

_

_**Back with Naruto…**_

Aoi had fallen asleep, her body still recovering from the forceful use of aphrodisiac. Naruto sighed as he adjusted her covers, making sure she was kept warm, before leaving the room.

He couldn't believe that just by stepping foot into Kiri region, he would witness such an act of cruelty. Sure those with bloodlines were being hunted down, but to do this to women…

Clenching his fists, he narrowed his eyes as he picked up the killing intent that diffused through the air. He knew something was going to happen in this area, but he just didn't know what it was. Judging from the fact that it was still layered thin, the danger had yet to arrive. Walking past Haku's room, he was met with a cheerful Kazumi, "She fell asleep too?"

"Yep. Isn't she just the cutest thing?" Her grin was playful, even as she latched onto his arm, "Ne, ne, can't we keep her?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "No."

"Oh what? You're supposed to agree with me!"

Raising an eyebrow, he gazed at the woman and sighed, "I know you want to protect her, but she has a mum already."

"You can have the mother then."

Resisting the urge to facepalm, Naruto grimaced, "Kazumi…"

"Fine, fine, you're no fun." The red eye glowed, "I know eh. Some mate he is."

Shaking his head in exasperation, the blond instead, turned his attention the village, "They'll be here soon. I can feel it."

"Hm…"

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, "I just hope I'm doing the right thing."

"Such an indecisive person." Grabbing him by the neck, she pulled him in for a deep kiss, before gazing right into those sky-blue orbs, "There is no right thing. Either you do what you want, or you don't, consequences be damned. Isn't that what you used to follow?" Smirking, she licked her lips tentatively, "Or do I have to remind you?"

Blinking, Naruto slowly chuckled before sighing, "You're right. I guess I got put off by seeing what happened to Aoi-san."

"Now's not the time for that. You can't hesitate." Her golden eye glowed as her hand gently stroked his cheek, "I'll be right by your side, no matter what you do."

Naruto held her hand, rubbing against it affectionately, "I know, I know."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Grinning, she flexed her furry arm, "Let's show them who's boss."

Her reply was a smile along with a low bow, before the blond spun her into his arms, whispering into her ear, "Yes, let's."

* * *

_**In the village…**_

"W-why are you all congregating outside our village?" The guard asked shakily, his sixth sense screaming at him to run at that instant.

"Hm, that's a pretty difficult question to answer." The leading Keitaro Kaguya grinned, "Why don't I… _show_ you?"

In a moment, the guard's head was ripped off his shoulder, before it was flung onto a nearby tree, "Oops, that's a bit bloody, isn't it?" His maniacal smirk was enough to tell the rest of the guards that he meant business.

Normally, a small village like this on the outskirts of Mizu no Kuni, would never have been provided with guards, yet ever since the Yondaime Mizukage started the bloodline purge, he said it was from his kindness that he decided to 'install' warriors to 'protect' the villagers.

For years, those who were detected to have a bloodline were ridiculed, tortured, just like the case of Aoi, before they were killed, and these guards, while all strong in their own rights compared to mere citizens, were nothing against the true bloodline users.

Keitaro sighed, "This will be easy. Sacrilegious assholes are always easy." With a wave of his hand, the rest of the Kaguya charged, and before long, screams erupted all over the village.

It was a slaughter, plain and simple. The reason was because they were bored. A Kaguya needed blood, needed violence, needed to _kill_. Least, that's how they were brought up. Their bloodline was sacred, not just a tool, but a necessity in helping satisfy themselves. It was their armor and their weapon, impenetrable to most, and absolutely destructive to others.

Keitaro himself loved the smell of blood on his bones. The crimson red that graced it never looked more beautiful. Villagers that dared look down upon them and treat them like inferior human beings, deserved to be smashed down. They shall pay for being such disrespectful bastards, oh they shall pay.

Crushing yet another's skull, Keitaro witnessed little Kimimaro slicing through pile upon pile of villagers. There it was again, that fancy poking attacks he used. What was the point of imitating a sword when all you needed to do was crush them?

Looks like he's just another useless one after all. Shaking his head, he chose instead to completely ignore the presence of the little Kaguya. He was just an albino, with some random lung disease, they could afford to let him die. A Kaguya looks out for no one but himself, that was the unspoken rule within the clan.

The bottom line was that if you couldn't even survive on your own, then don't call yourself a Kaguya. Keitaro was proud to say that all his men were fine murderers, oh yes, _very_ fine. He was the most efficient of them, after all.

Kimimaro couldn't help but feel despair as their leader Keitaro simply gave him an unconcerned glance, before turning the other way completely. Once again, he had been shot down. His efforts, no matter how much he tried, were futile. Was he not efficient enough? Did he not kill enough? What was the matter with him?

Each and every time, he was sure that the body count was higher than any of the others, yet why did they still treat him like an outsider. He had abided by the clan rules, to kill as much as one could, so why?

Little did the boy know, that in truth, _he _was the one with the highest number of kills each time. However, his ways were focused more on the result and less on 'enjoyment', or so the rest of the Kaguya seemed to think, and hence, all the corpses that appeared due to Kimimaro's attacks, looked no different compared to an unconscious person. This, of course, resulted in the other Kaguya 'bloodying' things up a bit, and proceeded to 'rip' the already dead person apart.

The Kaguya were never a really intelligent clan, and hence, Kimimaro's efforts were ignored. Besides, no one would believe that a mere weakling like him could get more kills than them.

Villagers cried for help, unable to escape. It was a sad sight, for the Kaguya advanced swiftly upon them, ending their lives without second thought, and such appalling ease that eventually, everyone just gave up resisting.

Keitaro laughed, before lifting his head, "Yup, they're here. Boys!"

At his shout, all the rest of them got into position and charged off in different directions. There was nothing to be said, this was a routine after all.

The Kiri shinobi had arrived, presumably to execute them for their treacherous acts. The Mizukage apparently deemed it official that any with a bloodline limit who was still alive a traitor. He was that petty a man, that detestable and foul.

It was always like this, before long, they would be cornered, and faking it, they would appear to 'come quietly', after that, it was show time. The blood will rain, and it will rain hard, hahahaha!

Splatters of red shook him awake. Blinking, he wiped his face with his palm, watching as the crimson liquid dripped off his skin.

This quickly? That was a first. The orders were to feign weakness, tempting them in, before decimating them with their power. It's never failed before.

"Well it has now."

_What?_

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a fist lodged itself firmly in his cheek, easily dislocating his jaw, before the flames engulfed him. Staggering backwards, Keitaro hurriedly adjusted his posture and took up a defensive stance.

_The hell? Since when did Kiri-nin know fire attacks?_

And that was when he gaped. Right before him, was a sight that he would never dream of seeing. All his men, were currently being slew by the same blond, or more accurately speaking _shadows_ of the blond.

Be it by flames, by force or by skill, one by one, his men perished. It was unbelievable.

"Kou'ei Hyakuretsu. _(Hundred Breaking Shadows of Light)_"

This… this man…

"I suppose you were waiting for the Kiri-nin to appear."

W-who…

"Ah, you're back."

H-huh?

A lady in red appeared as she licked the blood off her furry arm, "Having fun?" Kissing the blond sensually, she then turned her gaze onto him, "My, you let one live?"

"Hardly, his expression seems pretty amusing though."

"You're becoming more evil by the second, Naruto. I think I'm falling in love with you again." And yet another weird event occurred, with the scarlet eye glowing, before a deeper voice spoke, "Hear, hear."

"What is going on?!" Finally unable to hold it any longer, he roared his doubts out loud, before charging in, bones protruding from every bit of his skin, "You son of a –"

A snap of his finger and flames enclosed him, burning his bones to ashes in mere seconds before the punch appeared right between his eyes, sending him crashing through the houses on the sides.

No, there was no way the plan could have gone wrong like this. They were invincible!

"I'm afraid that I have to prove you wrong. Goodbye."

Shrieks of agony were the last sounds he emitted, before he too, was reduced to mere dirt.

Naruto sighed as he stared at the surroundings. Truth be told, he was unimpressed. It was quite hard to say if the Mizukage had been right with the bloodline purges if all of them were like the retards before him.

Slapping him on the back of his head, Kazumi huffed, "Idiot, of course the Mizukage's wrong, what are you on about?"

Realizing that he had said it out loud, Naruto sighed, "I was just thinking…"

"Don't think like a noob then."

"… Why do you insist on using a word that doesn't exist?"

"What do you mean it doesn't exist? I just said it, didn't I?"

The remaining villagers that survived could only stare at this surreal scene in bewilderment. One moment they were on the verge of death, the next death was all around them.

The Kaguya, while a clan with a mighty bloodline in its own right, posed little to no harm for someone of Naruto's caliber. Those that resorted purely on physical attacks was easily deterred and neutralized by his flames. One did not inherit a nine-tailed demon's powers and not have superior elemental affinities, especially the famed 'fire' element that Kyuubi was so well-known for.

Kazumi, on the other hand, chose to stall the Kiri-nin, and in the end, chose to eliminate them. She was pretty sure at least three of the ones she met were spying on them while they saved the Fubuki duo. Back then, Naruto had let them escape with the hopes that they will report this to the Mizukage, so as to tell the old bastard that someone was about to rebel against him. Yet now that she met them, there was no reason to leave them alive, and she disposed of them easily.

It would seem the combined chakra of Yukari along with Kyuubi's original demonic essence mix well together, and their power was utterly overwhelming because of that. Naruto had felt their energy output and was very impressed.

Their goal had been achieved. The Mizukage was sure to get suspicious now, and before long, word of a blond male and a redhead female would spread throughout Mizu no Kuni, before the real fight begins. At the end of all this, the Mizukage will die.

That was the plan.

Naruto then looked down at his chest, where a bony sword pierced through his chest several moments ago had resided, "Now then, would you be so kind as to remove it? I'm pretty sure you realize by now that you can't kill me."

Though not immortal, it really would take a _lot_ of damage to kill Naruto right now. And one single heart bursting strike was _obviously _not enough to end his life.

Again, Kazumi smacked him across the back of his head, "Sarcasm does not suit you."

Mentally yelling at himself for saying his thoughts out loud, he turned to face a little Kaguya, face devoid of all emotion even as he removed the bone like Naruto requested.

Kimimaro could only stare at this man before him, mind completely blank. There was no one to order him around anymore, there was nobody that needed him anymore…

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Well, what do you have to say?"

The white-haired boy simply shook his head, before retracting his bones and kneeling on the ground. Bowing his head, he waited. It was over, this was his death. He would never understand just why he felt sad being alone. He would never understand why he needed to feel warm, to feel wanted.

This was it.

Yet it never came. The pain, the blood, it didn't come. Raising his head in confusion, he asked, "Why haven't you killed me yet?"

To that, the blond simply crossed his arms, "You want to die that badly?"

Kimimaro tilted his head, "I do not know. I have no purpose when I'm alive. Will I have one when I'm dead?"

"Definitely not." It was Kazumi who answered his question.

"Ah… is that so, that's too bad, I guess." Lowering his head again, he was the very picture of melancholy, "Go ahead."

The next gesture was sudden, and completely out of his expectations, for Naruto had simply clapped a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the fact that bones exploded out from that spot, piercing right through his hand. It was a defensive mechanism that he couldn't control, and as much as he didn't care, he couldn't help but gasp as the blond continued to smile like he didn't feel a thing.

"Say kid, can you fly?"

"I-I… I…"

"You, you, you what? Can you?"

"I-I'm af-fraid I c-can't." His eyes were locked onto the blood oozing out of his fist. For some reason, it just felt really wrong that the blood was flowing because of his bones. This man had probably given him more attention than any other Kaguya has for the past ten years, and yet…

"Do you want to learn?" Cerulean blue glowed as he gazed into Kimimaro's eyes, "I can teach you."

Finding this concept mind-boggling, Kimimaro could only nod tentatively, unsure as to how he should respond, "Ok…?"

Somehow, the boy felt as though a deal had been sealed, and as the blond removed his hand from the bones, causing a squelching sound as he did so, Kimimaro, for the first time, felt relieved.

Realization had dawned on him, "I… I have a purpose now?"

Naruto laughed, "Sure you do. You gotta learn how to fly, and until you succeed, you're gonna stay with me. Now come on, we're getting out of here."

Kazumi chuckled, "Such a forceful man, isn't he?" Flicking her finger at his forehead, it earned him a slight wince of pain, before he focused her attention on her, eyes questioning her move.

"What's your name?"

"Ah, Kimimaro. Kaguya Kimimaro."

"Oh! Kimimaro! That sounds so cute!" Hugging him tightly, the boy felt his cheek being nuzzled as he was pulled into a warm embrace. It didn't dawn on him until much, much later, that his bones didn't attack her.

For the first time in years, he felt warm.

* * *

_**Back in the Fubuki Household…**_

A single letter lay on the table, even as Haku and Aoi slept on peacefully.

_Dear Aoi-san, _

_I have to apologize for leaving so abruptly, but alas, situations arise and plans have to be changed. Your life in the village should be more peaceful now, and I wish you well. If the chance arises, I'm sure we'll meet again someday, but until then, please do take care of yourself and little Haku. _

_Uzumaki Naruto_

Naruto had thought that intruding on Aoi's life any longer would be inappropriate, and decided to leave a letter instead of properly bidding her goodbye.

What he didn't know was that this would soon lead to the beginnings of a journey, for Fubuki Aoi and Haku, where they would go from town to town, searching for him, and not resting until they found him.

Sleeping peacefully as time passed, the birds in the village began to sing.

They were celebrating the growth of a new bird, one that finally obtained its freedom, and well on its way to flight.

Kimimaro Kaguya, the only survivor of the Kaguya clan massacre, and the reason Naruto would later give for letting him live, was simply because the boy intrigued him. And yet, that was all Kimimaro needed to follow him and Kazumi.

The boy would later on declare that they were the father and mother he had never had.

* * *

_**When will Aoi next see Naruto?**_

_**Where will the trio go now?**_

_**Just what will happen with Kimimaro?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of "Lost Paradise". **_

_**Hm, finally done. Slightly dissatisfied with how this turned out, but meh. Recently, I got a position to translate manga for the OMFGG group and got to work immediately, so I postponed my own fic for awhile. **_

_**Once again, I apologize for not picking up the update speed, but at least I updated. **_

_**Please tell me what you thought of this by reviewing, your opinions mean a lot. Thx guys. XD**_


	5. Nami no Kuni

_**A/N: Alright! I'm back with a chapter. Sorry for the long wait, I thank you for bearing with me again, as I've thanked my readers for "I Live On". I've finally written something and I am kinda getting back into the rhythm. Hopefully, it'll all come back to me, but as of now, I'm pretty sure my quality has dropped. **_

_**Exams followed by a lot of manga, will do that to you. .**_

_**But yeah, I've been replaying a few of my RPGs to get some inspiration for attacks and stuff like that, as for plot, picked out some old visual novels and went through bits and pieces, and this is what I came up with. It's been a while, but I am back for good. **_

_**I think. =D**_

_**Anyways, please enjoy this latest chapter of "Lost Paradise"!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**_

_**Previously on Lost Paradise…**_

"_Say kid, can you fly?"_

"_Do you want to learn?" Cerulean blue glowed as he gazed into Kimimaro's eyes, "I can teach you." _

_Realization had dawned on him, "I… I have a purpose now?"_

_Naruto laughed, "Sure you do. You gotta learn how to fly, and until you succeed, you're gonna stay with me. Now come on, we're getting out of here."_

"_What's your name?"_

"_Ah, Kimimaro. Kaguya Kimimaro."

* * *

_

Lost Paradise

Chapter 5: Nami no Kuni

"_Aisureba koso, I areba koso." ~ "I love you, therefore I am." – From Diamond Crevasse in Macross Frontier_

"Hah… hyan…" Gasps and moans could be heard even as she leaned into his embrace, her chest heaving as her hips bucked against his fingers, "Mo! You tease!"

Grinning, the blond shifted his head into view from behind and gently blew on her shivering skin, "Oh ho? Should I stop then?"

"Huaaaah!" Unable to stifle the cry, she bit down hard on her lips even as the blond gently licked her nipple, before taking it into his mouth and suckling on it, rolling it over and over his tongue.

His fingers never took a break, his left arm locking her body within his grasp while his right stroked her thoroughly, enjoying the feeling of her hidden muscles clenching with need, loving the feel of her juices dripping down his hand.

Brushing her hand through his wild hair, she gripped on it hard even as her head fell backwards, her gasps silent and rushed, moans not enough to express her lust anymore, "Hah… hah… Not there… no…" Her blush deepened as her body arched even further, "Ah!"

Picking up his pace, Naruto released the much loved nipple and turned his attention to her neck, planting butterfly kisses as he murmured, "Your skin is so silky, I can't get enough of it."

"T-that's w-wh-hat you keep s-saying… hah… hah…"

"Hm, right here?"

"Hyaaaa!" In a frenzy, she came. The much awaited release was finally granted even as she changed into a shivering mess, her hair flung everywhere even as she submerged within the ecstasy of the moment, her mouth opened wide, seeking for her beloved's lips as she slowly cooled down.

Slowly removing his fingers, he dragged them up her body in an agonizing manner, occasionally twirling around her bosom, before he broke the kiss and held his fingers up to the light, "Look, you're beautiful."

"Nya!" Capturing the wet digits in a swift move, her tongue licked over them repeatedly before taking them into her mouth, sucking and tasting her own essence, before she met his gaze with a smirk, "Want to taste it?"

Her answer was an instant kiss, with his lips tightly crushed on top of hers even as he dragged her down to meet him. At the same time, his hands reached down to cup her bottom, and without waiting any longer, he lifted her up and entered her in one swift motion, bringing her entire weight down onto his shaft.

"Haaaaaah! C-can't wait any longer?" Her heavy blush showed just how much she loved the feeling of him within her, how she was full to the brim, her inner muscles clamping down on him as she wriggled around, trying to get herself into position.

Grinning, he thrust his hips upwards and once again, the groaning and cries of lust were heard from the both of them. Both of them facing the same direction, with her straddling him, her knees bending as she rose and fell in a rhythmic oscillation, taking all of him in, feeling herself brought to yet another level of bliss as she melted into his touch.

His fingers resumed their previous jobs and found their way to her bosom. Grabbing one breast in each hand, he grinned as he felt them change into a variety of shapes under his touch, his fingers pinching and pulling on the nipples at certain intervals, earning him absolutely adorable mewing noises from his love.

Sitting himself straighter, he reached up and bit down on her ear, whispering words of passion to her, taking from her what she provided, and giving her what she needed. Together, they rose as one, hurtling towards that blinding thrill that awaited them. Their movements sped up, their breathing harsh, their eyes closed tight.

Connected so intimately, they held each other, joined as they reached for their nirvana, that shining ball of overwhelming emotions and feelings that was bound to be unleashed, and finally, they attained it.

"I-I'm coming…"

"Together?"

"Hell yes!"

It was as though a flash of power surging through her entire body, her mind wiped blank as she felt her muscles clamping down on him, milking him, feeling him fill her with his essence, the exhilarating emotion that threatened to burst her heart that very instant. Unable to keep quiet any longer, she screamed her release, her entire body tensed for a brief duration, before collapsing back onto her love, breathless and spent.

Her eyes were half lidded with pleasure, with faint traces of drool on the corners of her mouth, she lazily accepted yet another kiss from him, before mumbling, "Hm… that felt _so_ good…"

Laughing, he nuzzled her cheek affectionately, "Glad to hear that."

Letting her hand fall into the water below, she dragged a few droplets of the liquid and splashed it onto her body, "Aw, now I gotta wash all over again."

This was the sight that greeted Kimimaro even as he strode into the stream to take his own shower. He didn't seem the least bit surprised, simply submerging into the water, taking a few refreshing dives, before washing himself and getting out. His only response to a completely naked Kazumi lying on top of an equally naked Naruto was the following:

"Dinner should be ready soon."

Grinning, the blond gave him a thumbs-up, "Cheers! We'll be right there. Come on, Kazumi, you heard him."

"Ah haha, thank you, Maro-kun~" Her eyes were drooping even as Naruto laid her on the surface of the water to go and wash himself. It felt great, to be able to simply lie on it, and then gradually sinking into the liquid bit by bit.

They were currently on the outskirts of Mizu no Kuni, having travelled for fifteen days away from the village where the two Fubukis resided. Their next destination had yet to be decided, and hence, they were simply drifting from place to place. Washing themselves in the wild and sleeping in the woods was common for them, and not much of a hassle.

The two adults felt no need to hide their love from Kimimaro, and since the boy did not have much knowledge about this subject in the first place, he didn't feel shy or anything like that at all. He had been curious though, as to why the couple would feel the need to constantly show their affection for one another, and Naruto simply laughed it off and told him that when he had his mate, he would understand.

That then led to the question about how a mate differed from a wife. Kazumi, or rather, Kyuubi had taken the boy aside and given him a lengthy explanation as to the importance and purpose of having a mate. It was quite impressive to see the boy simply acknowledge the information and set it aside for future reference, just like that. You would expect a normal child to either pose a lot of awkward questions, or vehemently protest against having to even touch the opposite sex.

Not Kimimaro apparently. The boy truly, whole-heartedly enjoyed affection, be it to show it or to receive it. He wanted to do every little thing for Naruto and Kazumi, always rushing to complete something for them so that they didn't have to go through the trouble. Kimimaro knew that most of the lodging preparations and hunting were done for him, because Kazumi had insisted the boy be as comfortable as possible. With their jutsu and elemental manipulating powers, a house or two in a fraction of a second wasn't really that much of a hassle.

The petting and praises that Kimimaro received were the crème de la crème. He had no idea before that physical affection could mean so much to a person. Subconsciously, he had yearned for this type of parental love for the past few years, and now, he was finally rewarded. Kazumi loved cuddling the boy, and surprisingly, the boy enjoyed it almost as much as she did. Naruto, too, made it a point to chat with the boy as much as possible.

Kimimaro had learned that trust was the first thing to any relationship. If you cannot trust, there was no point in moving forward anymore. Naruto had explained his short history back in Konoha, telling of the special events that occurred, the festivals that would take place and many other happy things, and then, on other days, he would mention the bullying and the assassination attempts. Throughout all his speeches, Kimimaro would listen with rapt attention, not wanting to miss even a word, because he had no idea the outside world could have so much action!

It was amazing to hear Naruto-san go through such wonderful adventures! While he might not understand the whole concept of how Naruto-san gained the appearance of a twenty-year old over one night, he still found it absolutely fantastic that such a thing could happen!

Though it was a pity that Naruto-san instantly told him a second later that it was impossible for him to attempt it as well. That had him pouting for a bit, before Kazumi-san came over and hugged him again.

Kazumi-san was a fascinating individual as well. She had a tail! A soft, smooth, fluffy tail! It looked so beautiful, and acted as an extra limb almost. At night, as he slept between them, the tail would curl around his body and keep him warm. Never before had he felt such security when he was amongst other people, and yet, this seemed like his haven.

Quite a huge change from before, where the only place where would actually be of use was when he was killing people. He had been afraid that Naruto and Kazumi would dislike him, and had been cowed to face them.

Hesitantly, he had asked, "Am I a bad person for having this bloodline? I… I… I used it to kill so many people…"

Kazumi was by his side faster than he could blink, and cooing, she nuzzled his cheek as she embraced him, "No, no. They were only using you, so it doesn't count. Besides, having a bloodline doesn't make you bad. It's how you use it!" A wide smile was on her face, contrasting the pained frown on Kimimaro's.

"Then… then I am bad… I used it for murder…"

"Yep!" Her cheerful tone definitely didn't help.

However, before the poor boy could get any more depressed, Naruto started laughing, before clapping a hand on his shoulder, "She's just teasing you, Maro. Though it's kinda true that you were bad before." Shrugging he, kneeled down and stared right into the boy's eyes, a wide smirk on his face, "Doesn't mean you can't become a good boy again, does it?"

Blinking, the Kaguya pondered it for a while, his face making expressions that were absolutely adorable as he tried to make his way through his dilemma, before finally giving a firm nod, "Hai!"

That of course, led to another intensive cuddling session with Kazumi. The kid was cute beyond belief, according to her, and she would enjoy it while it lasted. It wouldn't be as fun when Kimimaro grew up, that's for sure.

And back to the present, the three were huddled together before the fire, roasting the fish that Kimimaro had so kindly cooked while the two were engaged in their love making. Naruto had an arm around Kazumi's waist, holding her close while Kazumi hugged Kimimaro, who sat in the middle. Overall, it looked the very picture of 'family'.

Placing her head on top of the boy playfully, she nuzzled her chin on his hair, "Maro-chan~ Thank you so much!"

The sight of the boy shifting to get even closer to Kazumi both warmed and wrenched his heart. Just how long had the boy gone without any form of affection expressed to him? Naruto flicked his forehead to get his attention and gestured at the fish, "Come now, cuddle later. We need to get our tummies full first."

"Hai." Obediently, he retreated from her embrace and set about removing the fish from the pit.

Things were so peaceful.

So quiet.

So tranquil.

Eyebrows twitching, Naruto turned to Kazumi, "Your turn."

"Eh?! But why! I wanna eat the fish Maro-chan cooked!"

"Ah cut it out and get it over with." Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, he set about chomping on the delicious meal with Kimimaro, ignoring the hisses of death that his mate was currently sending at him. The boy sat beside him, staring at the exaggerated motions of the 'hand signs' Kazumi was making at him, basically telling him to feed her first.

Glancing up at the blond, he gulped down his bite, before holding out his stick of fish to her, "Here."

"Waaaaai! Maro-chan daisuki~~~ _(Love you the most)_, unlike a certain _someone_." Glaring in Naruto's direction and muttering more curses, she was gone in a flash, leaving the two males there to enjoy their meal as normal.

The woods were really nice. Kimimaro smiled as he bit down on his food again. It would be his turn next. That was something worth looking forward to.

Screams of pain echoed throughout the area, reverberating of the trees even as the two males continued their munching. Kazumi had always been the sadistic one of them. Naruto and Kimimaro preferred efficiency, but lately, it would seem that Kazumi was rubbing off on the boy and he would sometimes take slight pleasure in killing his enemies.

"Hirensen! _(Arrow of the Fire Lotus)_" As the name of the technique suggests, Kazumi summoned up crimson flames from her right palm, shaping it delicately into that of a lotus, before firing it right through the Kiri hunter-nins sent after them, the flames engulfing them in separate streams, consuming them like the rage of a fiery flow, combusting at the very end for dramatic effect.

Needless to say, they were put down relatively easily, and Kazumi was back to nibbling her fish while cuddling Kimimaro at the same time.

It would seem that after their defiance at the village where the Fubukis resided, the Mizukage caught word of their presence and had started sending out nins to take them out, or so it would seem. Nevertheless, their failures were all remarkably noted as the three of them took care of the Kiri shinobi over and over. In fact, just recently, they've decided on taking turns as to who would fight the next batch.

Naruto saw no need to hide themselves or to cover their trail, and so it was obvious the hunter-nins would only need a bit of time before they were discovered.

"How many were there?"

"Fifteen~"

"Wow, I feel honored that we deserve so much attention."

"Om nom nom~"

"Ah, Kazumi-san, you've got a bit left on the corner of your mouth. Let me wipe it off for you."

"Aw, thank you, Maro-chan!"

They would be at a village soon anyways, simply a few more hours of walking and they would be there. After this last 'slaughter', surely the Mizukage would take a 'break' to start considering alternative ways to get rid of them. Only a fool would continuously send troops after a target that kills them every single time.

The Mizukage was no fool.

Or was he?

"Guurrgh!" Naruto deadpanned as he snapped his fingers. The final remaining assassin was taken care of in a burst of flames.

"Kazumi, you missed one."

"No I didn't~"

"… You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"That's what you get for not letting me eat my fish!"

"All I said was 'get it over with'. Which bit of that translates to me not letting you eat?"

"But, but, but I'm hungry! I need my energy after all that exercise!"

"Hm… I see, we should cut down the – " His sentence was rudely interrupted as Kazumi crashed her lips onto his, pinning him to the floor even as she removed her clothes, "Not a chance."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto traced a finger around her bosom, "I don't want you getting tired though." The teasing tone in his voice was clear for all to hear, though it was a pity that Kimimaro had gone off to find more wood the moment Kazumi jumped Naruto, and the area was pretty much littered with corpses.

"Then rejuvenate me~" Grinding her hips against his, she lowered her torso, so that her nipple was dangling right above his lips.

"It's the blood, isn't it?"

"Maaaaaybe? Hehe...."

Not one to decline the offer of a lady, the blond took the gift in his mouth and began to work his way down her body.

It would be an hour before they finished.

Which just happened to be when Kimimaro came back with the wood.

That boy was a gem.

* * *

_**With the Fubukis…**_

"Okaa-san?" Haku asked as she walked alongside Aoi, her finger placed lightly over her lip to complete a thinking expression, "Are we there yet?"

Shaking her head, the Fubuki sighed, "No. I wish we were though."

"Awww, but, but, I wanna see Kazumi-san and Naruto-san soon!"

When they had woken up that day, Aoi read through the letter Naruto had left behind and was at a loss as to what to do next. At first, she had expected herself to be relieved, since the hunter-nins were dead, and the ones that killed them had left, and hence, that made it possible for them to continue living in hiding.

But those were mere excuses. That wasn't what she wanted. Haku was her pride and joy, and for the two of them to live the rest of their lives in hiding was a disgrace, and completely unacceptable.

Aoi knew why she felt so hollow as she reached the end of the letter. No matter how short their meeting was, that blond had made a huge impact on her life, saving not only her virtue but Haku's innocence as well. They were on the verge of death, and yet with such ease, he had rescued them, without hesitation at all. For someone who had been running for so long, the fact that anyone bothered to help them warmed her heart more than ever.

A little part of her had wanted him to stay, but now it was too late. He was gone, so as to prevent trouble from reaching _her._ Without warning, tears were trickling down her cheeks, even as she embraced her sobbing daughter, her eyes traced over the words of the letter.

There was surprisingly no hesitation after that. Gazing at Haku, she had asked if she wanted to go find them. Sniffing, her daughter had replied in the affirmative with vigorous nods to emphasize her point, and hence, here they were, travelling on the outskirts of Mizu no Kuni, heading towards Nami no Kuni.

The village had been extremely quiet at their departure, not wanting to have anything to do with those who had a bloodline. It had been quite easy to simply stroll out, leaving their 'home' behind, but even little Haku had realized it.

That place wasn't home at all.

And so they set off, wandering from place to place, asking people if they had seen three individuals travelling together. At first, it had been quite difficult to trace them, despite the fact that all three of them had easily distinguishable features. Blond hair, red tail and white-haired kid weren't all that common at all.

Without much success, Aoi then decided to go about a different route. If there weren't any information on the main roads, then surely, there had to be some kind of trail in the woods and mountains. Hence, from then on, the Fubuki picked tiny paths that led into forests and the like, hoping to find a sign, any sign that Naruto had passed through here.

Soon, she was rewarded with a great find. The smell of blood lingered in the air, and quietly telling Haku to close her eyes, she had witnessed the presence of multiple corpses flung all over the place. Looking at their masks, there was no mistake that these were definitely Kiri hunter-nin. And for someone to so easily dispose so many of them, it just had to be Naruto.

After all, she had witnessed his strength first hand, and felt his power, even as she lost conscious back then. Haku had told her about the way he used flames and given the scorches on the corpses, the probability that Naruto took care of them was high. Choosing to trust her instincts on this one, Aoi and Haku both continued on, travelling at a relatively slow pace.

Haku was a child after all, and Aoi didn't want to burden her too much. Along the way, she had begun teaching her daughter the basics of chakra and the meaning of having a Kekkei Genkai.

The sight of a joyous Haku cheerfully learning how to manipulate snow in her tiny palms brought a smile to her face. She should have known that the child would love it, all Fubukis do. Though it brought back painful memories, Aoi no longer had any hesitation. If hunter-nins were to find them, then she would simply fight. While she might not win, she had a ninety percent chance of escaping safely with Haku. As long as there was water around, she was fine.

It was quite a relief that none bothered them so far, but even so, she had been extremely cautious with their trails, erasing any tracks that might notify the hunter-nins that they had been there before.

Staring up at the cloudy sky, she murmured even as Haku skipped happily by her side, "Soon, we'll meet again…"

_Naruto-san.

* * *

_

_**Elsewhere……**_

"Ha! Not so courageous now are you?" Kneeing him in the gut, the short businessman leaned on his cane once more, eying his prey with disgust, "To think that someone dared stand up to _me_ in this pathetic country! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Gesturing with a wave of his hand, the two mercenaries smirked evilly before punching the bound male in the sides, temporarily cutting off his ability to breathe.

"Bugs! That's what you are! Why can't you seem to accept that, hm?!"

Using blades, they deliberately gave him messy, shallow cuts, letting the blood flow while inflicting a certain amount of pain, but definitely not enough to kill him. Not yet.

Sighing, the businessman shook his head, "Look, that's all they can do. I don't even know why you bother fighting. Why not just give in?"

Kaiza could barely even see straight at the moment, tears flowing down his cheeks despite his utmost efforts to keep his pain in. Of course, he hadn't screamed or anything, but he was at his limit.

Before him stood Nami no Kuni's biggest enemy, the notorious businessman Gato. He was the one who took control of their ports with his mercenaries and started using the country's funds to do his dirty work. Naturally, the country soon experienced what it meant for the rich to get richer and the poor, poorer. All the businessmen had either thrived under Gato or left the country, not wanting to be part of his scheme. And Gato had allowed that, as long as they didn't interfere with his money making, it was fine.

He could no longer bear seeing the kids starving in the streets, and those who had resorted to theft be beaten to death by those Yakuzas. It was a fate unimaginable to those who had led a quiet life. None of the countries near them had any idea just what was really going on, other than the fact that Gato had taken control. The fake image that Wave was growing wealthier was easily woven by Gato who had chosen to occasionally send expensive gifts to neighbouring countries as a 'sign of goodwill', in other words, telling them to 'please not check us out.'

The Wave country had never been a major part of trade, even before Gato came, at most, it had been fish, certain clay products and that was about it. None of their trades affected any of their neighbouring countries a lot. Shinobi would rarely visit their village, seeing how bandits and the sort weren't all that common, and slowly, the number of requests sent out decreased, until they were fully cut off by Gato, who began hiring missing-nin from all countries, adding them to his mercenary group, creating a tough force to be reckoned with, on par, even with some of the better trained Shinobis.

The businessman had cheated them with contract, lulling the citizens of Wave into a sense of false security, before going back on his word and making sure no one dared resist him by maintaining the entire country with an iron fist. He had absolute power, and none dared defy him. Deaths and tortures were common to all those that slighted him even in the most indirect way possible, and so, people of the Wave lost hope.

It was an impossible situation, and yet he still stood out. He had been deemed 'Hero' of the Wave, risking his life multiple times, choosing to put his life on the line to rescue those in danger. They trusted him, admired him and respected him. Hence, he decided it was the least he could do for them.

Even in this endless spiral of misery, he did what he could. It wasn't much at all. At best, he fought a few of the mercenaries, and barely defeated them with a single breath remaining, his protests to Gato was voiced, yet fell on deaf ears as the man simply couldn't be bothered to handle a mere 'bug' like him, or so he said.

It was the last straw, after ending up beaten yet again, his wife had begged him to stop. His child too, feared for him, and yet he still did it. He loved them, Tsunami and Inari, even that old drunkard father-in-law, Tazuna, and he had to do whatever he could to protect them, not let them continue dwelling in fear and despair. No matter how small his presence meant before Gato, he had to do something.

And so here he was, eyes blurring, barely holding on to his consciousness, the cries of his family ringing in his ears even as the rest of the village surrounded the 'execution' grounds. All of them could only watch on, as the mercenaries guarded the area, leaving Gato to have a little 'one-on-one' chat with Kaiza, the idiot who dared set fire to the goods of the great Gato-sama.

They had laughed at him, such a moron for even attempting such a feat. Had he wanted to die that badly? Did he not know that it was all futile in the end?

Kaiza knew. Yet he had to give the villagers a message. He had to get them to face reality. Hiding and wallowing in misery wasn't going to cut it anymore. Even if they were mercenaries, the odds were against Gato. He, a simple fisherman, had been able to take down about five mercenaries using only his trident. Why wouldn't the others find their courage and stand up against them?!

"I'm talking to you, bitch!" Slamming his foot into his face yet again, Kaiza was snapped out of his reverie as he tasted blood in his mouth. It wouldn't be the first time that he felt such agony. It would soon be over, he just knew it. Gato would cut him up a bit, and then kill him. That was the whole point of this whole farce.

Gato could have taken him out instantly, but he wanted to have a public show, just to inflict more terror on the citizens, to 'make an example' of them, or so he said, warning them about the consequences of going against him.

Of course it was effective. How could it not be? Right now, the 'hero' was bowing at his feet, bleeding to death even as his head was stepped on, digging his face into the ground, making sure he was nothing but a shivering, useless mess.

"Papa! Papa!" Inari's voice cut through the murmurs and echoed in his ears, even as those words were being muffled by Tsunami.

Smiling wryly, he sighed, knowing it was all for the best. This was where his life ended. He had failed after all. Perhaps his power really had been too insignificant. But even so, he would not regret what he had done. It might have been selfish for him to simply risk everything and leave his family in peril, but even so, he had no regrets.

He had simply… placed too much faith in the villagers.

"Now, now, we can't have you simply drifting off to sleep, can we?" Gato sniffed haughtily, before spitting on him, "You filthy little bastard, it's time to meet your end! Wake up!"

Lifting his head tiredly, Kaiza's could only open his eyelids halfway. Mustering the rest of his strength, he pushed himself off the floor and tried to headbutt the businessman, only for the two mercenaries on the side to press him on the floor again.

That earned him a straight stab through the shoulders, pinning him to the ground, sending a surge of pain so sharp that he wanted to scream bloody murder. But that wouldn't do, that would only serve to scare the villagers even more, and he couldn't have that. So he had to swallow it, but pain really wasn't something that could be swallowed so easily, so he settled for biting down on his lips as hard as he could.

"Damn it! What are you waiting for! Kill him!"

The huge barbarian with the axe slowly stepped forward at this point, a dopey smile on his face widening as he neared Kaiza. The cries of horror from the citizens along with the desperate screams of Inari echoed in the area, only to be silenced as Gato snarled, "Oh shut up! I've had enough of your yapping! One more word and I'll kill all of you right now! Do you hear me?!"

The area was silenced in but a moment, leaving only a panting Kaiza, eyes rolling back into their sockets even as he tried desperately to stay awake. Letting such a fat tub of lard execute him was quite a disgusting sight to behold, and seemed to work against him being conscious, but either way, he still yelled, "Inari! Protect your mother and grandfather! Don't be as useless as I am!"

"For fuck's sake! What are you waiting for! Chop his head off _now_!" Gato growled impatiently, not liking the fact that this dog was still yelping even at his death. The sooner he was dealt with the better. Oh, the troubles he had to go through to conquer a country.

"Papa!!!"

And the axe surged downwards, flung with all his might by the executioner, that gleeful smile on his face being the last image that Kaiza shall ever see as he met his death.

Such a nauseating sight to behold…

"PAPA!!!!"

Gato had already turned his back on the scene, grabbing some tobacco out of his pocket to take a drag, not wanting to be in the presence of such a filthy bug. Rummaging around, he was surprised to find his tobacco missing.

Frowning, he searched around some more. He was sure he placed it in his pocket this morning. Getting more frustrated by the second, he then realized that there had been no resounding echo of the 'chopping' sound. Surely that big an axe would make _some_ impact on the human flesh? Or was this fatass just another useless piece of crap?

Turning around with hand still in pocket, he was about to spring a series of curses at this subordinates, only to gape at the sight of them dead on the ground, lying at the feet of a white-haired boy.

Unable to comprehend just what was going on, his eyes then traced the form of a still breathing Kaiza, and finally clicking that perhaps, just _perhaps_, this _boy_ had been the one to kill them, he raised his voice, snarling, "Who the fuck do you think you are butting into other people's business?!"

The boy simply stared at him, before ignoring him and clenched his fist, as though to retrieve something. It was then that Gato saw a length of white stuff retreat back into the boy's body, and on the very tip of it… was his case of tobacco.

Staring in disbelief, he could only stutter, "B-bone…?!"

All the spectators were completely taken away by this sudden turn of events, none of them had any idea as to just what had happened. Inari stared on in absolute awe, his mind forever remembering the instant where the man that was holding the axe had his entire torso pierced through in an instant, ending his life, before the two other mercenaries met their ends with equally lethal bones. And then, the boy had came into view, and it didn't take much to figure out that the boy was the one who had rescued his father.

Kaiza, on the other hand, could barely make out his surroundings given his injuries and fatigue, and was wondering why even dying took so long. Somehow, the fat executioner was replaced with a frail looking young boy, who was currently staring at him with an emotionless face.

"W-who…"

"You're hurt."

"H-huh…?"

"Don't cry."

"Wha-at…?"

Completely unable to make sense of those words, he had half a mind to yell out at the boy to run away, lest Gato's men got their hands on him. It was futile after all, what could a boy like him do? But he was so tired… his limbs, his body…

Gato looked on, flabbergasted that a mere boy like this could come and interfere something he had all planned! What was this blasphemy!

"Oi! Get your asses out here and finish him off! I don't pay for you to just stand there!" Gesturing wildly with his hand, he yelled, "Kill him! Kill him now!"

The rest of the mercenaries who had been guarding the area all charged at the same time, their battle cries resounding through the air even as they closed in on the motionless boy. Tilting his head, he simply stood there, as though waiting, not bothering to do anything to stop their advance.

"Ah! Look out!" Inari couldn't help but yell, as did Tsunami, though hers was in the form of a frightful gasp.

Hearing the cries, the boy turned his head towards them and gave a short bow, before folding his arms inwards, eyes closed.

"It's over!"

"Die brat!"

Uncaring of the 'danger' before him, he spread his hands outwards in a swift motion, a chakra pulse emitting from his body, and in a quiet voice, he mumbled, "Hasu Tanhou! _(Blossoming Lotus)_"

Before many disbelieving eyes, sharp, devastating bones erupted from almost every part of his body at the same time, as though opening up from within his body, easily ensnaring all the mercenaries in one go, tunneling through their guts and skulls with ease, and in but a second, the bones were covered in blood, the crimson dripping off the sides from the newly-created holes of the corpses, as though highlighting the end of the blossom.

Unable to say anything, Gato felt his legs give way at the sight of this carnage. Ten of his men, killed in the blink of an eye, just like that. What was this boy?! What the fuck was with those bones?! Could it be that he was… a bloodline user?! But, but those should have been captured or killed off already!

The citizens of wave were equally shocked by this development. The gruesome sight was too much for some of them, and it was inevitable that some puked, however, the rest were simply amazed. To think that a boy could hold this much power within him. It was completely unthinkable!

"Now, now, what did I tell you about making a mess of things?" A voice sounded from behind Gato, and though it had sounded quite neutral in the ears of the Wave citizens, to Gato, it was like that of the devil itself. The killing intent directed at him currently was causing him to suffocate, and writhing on the floor, his hands clawed around, desperately trying to suck in some oxygen.

"Mo, Maro-chan! You shouldn't have run off just like that!"

"Gomen, Kazumi-san, but I saw this man being beaten up, so I thought I would help him."

"Awww, that's our Maro-chan! Come here!" The crimson lady that had appeared beside the blond man spread her arms, summoning the boy for a hug.

Obediently retracting his bones, he embraced her eagerly, loving the pets that she was giving him, "Yosh, yosh! Good boy, but next time, tell us first, okay?"

"Hai."

"Urgh, Kazumi, he's not a three-year old. He can go wherever he wants without reporting to you, you know that right?"

"But, but, but I want Maro-chan at my side at all times!"

"… Why…?"

"Hug hug!"

"…… I'm lost."

"Muquuuuu! See! Muqqquuuuuu!" Rubbing her cheek against the boy, she pulled him in for yet another tight hug, treating Kimimaro almost like a plushie, with a blissful expression on her face. "His skin is sooo soft!"

"……" Rubbing his brow even as he shook his head, Naruto shrugged, "Well, as long as Kimimaro's okay with that."

"I'm okay."

"… That… was a fast reply."

"Hai."

"You tell him, Maro-chan!"

Temporarily ignoring his mate, Naruto turned back to the dying Gato, his eyebrow raised, "I have to say, I didn't expect a mere businessman to be able to hire missing-nin of that caliber. Must speak volumes of your wealth." Glancing at the bleeding man not far away, Naruto narrowed his eyes, "Twenty four hours."

Gato suddenly felt the pressure around him lift, and gulping down volumes of air, his face pale with fear, he stuttered, "W-what…?"

"I'm not talking to you, filth." Ignoring the scared-to-death Gato, Naruto trudged over to Kaiza and lifted him over his shoulder, before walking over to the crowd, "Does this guy have his family around here?"

Still in a daze, Tazuna and Tsunami barely realized that he was addressing them, and quickly rushed forward, checking on the status of Kaiza, while Inari continued staring at Kimimaro and Kazumi.

"Ne, ne, what do we do with those in hiding?" Kazumi piped cheerfully even as she continued her nuzzling session.

Naruto simply gazed off in the distance, "That would depend on their stupidity. Come, I need your help with this."

"But, but, muquuu!"

"… Kazumi."

"Muquuu!"

"I don't believe this."

"Muqqquuuuuuu!!"

"Ok, fine, I just need Yukari-san."

Crimson flashed dangerously, "Brat! Why do you assume it's me?!"

"… It's not…?"

"Muquuuuu!!"

"NO!"

The very image of Kyuubi acting like a teenage girl in love with her new plushie seemed quiet amusing, and frankly, very out of character, but then again, Yukari-san acting so high seemed implausible as well. Perhaps the two of them reached a new personality or something, but right now, he couldn't care less.

"No more … 'muquu' or whatever it is you're saying. It's that or no sex."

"MU… WHAT?!"

"You heard me."

"Meanie! You know that I need it!"

"Nah, you can do without it. It's simply a luxury one can easily give up."

"LIES!"

Even as the squabbling continued, Kimimaro remained silent, his eyes staring at a certain shadow hiding within a building. He had been looking to see if the enemy made a move and was satisfied to find them extremely quiet. Naruto-san was really scary when he needed to be.

Deciding to stop Kazumi-san before she got out of hand, Kimimaro muttered, "Ano, Kazumi-san, I agree with Naruto-san on this one. You should look at that man first. He's bleeding to death. If you don't save him, then it would have been pointless of me to have saved him, and I would feel very sad."

Kazumi blinked, before pouting, "Fine. But definitely more muquu later, okay?"

Giving a tiny smile, the boy nodded, "Okay."

"And definitely sex later, you hear me, Naruto?!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He was already walking off along with Tazuna who was anxiously leading the way to their house.

"Oi! Listen when I'm talking to you!"

And with that, Kazumi and Kimimaro pushed their way through a dumbfounded crowd, and headed off after Naruto.

The entire change of events was too great for any of them to even decipher what was going on. It took them awhile to realize that Gato was no longer there, but even so, there was nothing they could have done. Almost everything had been done for them already, and yet…

"Let's go see Kaiza-san!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

_**Back at Gato's company**_**…**

"Ha… ha… what, who was that?! Why didn't you kill him! Wh-what am I paying you guys for?!"

A huge zanbato appeared by his neck in an instant, "Shut up. We have no interest in your rambling. All we care about is the money. Do you have it?"

"Of, of course! Get that thing away from me!"

"Very well, as long as you pay, we'll get the job done."

"Then hurry! I want him dead! I want his head before me!"

"There is no rush, you heard him, he'll be here in twenty-four hours." A smirk grew on his face even as he looked towards his comrade, "Looks like we'll be having some fun eh?"

Yet another Zanbato came into view, this time strung on the back of an eyebrow-less shinobi, "That guy smells like trouble, to be able to emit that much killing intent without blinking…"

"Pft, what are you scared about? There ain't anybody in this world that can take on two of the Seven Swordsmen and still live!"

* * *

_**Well, seemed like a good place to end, so I'll stop here. Pretty sure most of you can guess who the two are, so I'm not going to elaborate further. Proper action chapter next, so stay tuned!**_

_**What will happen to Wave Country?**_

_**Will Aoi and Haku catch up to Naruto?**_

_**Please await the next chapter of "Lost Paradise".**_

_**Until then, cheers guys. Read and review plz. =D**_


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